When fate plays its hand

“I don’t think this year is possible.” Miranda did the math once summer break ended, September would mark the start of her second year in graduate school. She would soon have a busy schedule.

On the other hand, Paul had classes to teach, a lab to manage, and plenty of academic responsibilities. It sounded like he was going to be busy too.

Madison said, “Since Dr. Jefferson has suspended his classes, you can take off whenever you want–Thanksgiving, Independence Day, and other long weekends. Plus, Echo Bay isn’t that far.”

“Wait… What do you mean he has suspended his classes?” Miranda asked.

Madison sounded surprised. “You didn’t know?”

Miranda blinked and was caught off guard. What was Madison talking about?

There was a brief silence on the other end before Madison spoke again. “I’m going to hang up now. I’ll send you the links later.”

“…Okay.”

Madison sent two links over. One was an announcement on Bedford College’s website, and the other was a trending thread on the campus forum.

Miranda clicked the first link, then the second. Her expression grew more solemn with every passing second.

The evening had settled in as the sky was painted with hues of red and orange.

Paul walked down the street with two gift bags and smiled from ear to ear.

“Hey Paul, finished work already?” Thaddeus Marlowe asked. “You’re off early today.”

“Hi, Dr. Marlowe,” Paul greeted with a nod.

“Congratulations! I heard your research project won another award.”

“Thanks, but it’s a team effort.”

“Still so modest. You’re a really great young man.” Thaddeus chuckled. “By the way, Mr. Haddock told me you decided to suspend your classes. Is it because of too much pressure or not enough time?”

Paul nodded and gave a vague answer.

Thaddeus said earnestly, “I get it, Paul. You’re probably more passionate about research than teaching, and you’re better at it.

“But, listen, as someone who’s been around for a while, I’ve got to tell you–teaching and research go hand in hand. What keeps the relationship between us and the college strong? It’s teaching.”

He continued, “You’re incredibly talented, and there’s no doubt about that. But your academic career needs that institutional backing. Trust me, you don’t want to get on the wrong side of the administration. It could hurt your future down the line.”

He had made his point clear, and Paul couldn’t ignore good advice. He smiled and thanked him politely but didn’t mention anything about resuming his classes.

Thaddeus shook his head as he left. He couldn’t convince Paul, but he tried. At least he had left things in a way noveldrama

that could be explained later.

Paul didn’t dwell on the conversation. He quickly headed upstairs and checked his watch as he went. Instead of knocking on Miranda’s door immediately, he went home first.

After a refreshing shower, he changed into something more polished than his usual casual wear–a button–down shirt and dress pants. He checked himself in the mirror to ensure everything looked sharp, then grabbed the two gift bags and headed out.

When he opened his door, Miranda was just stepping out of her apartment across the hall. He smiled as soon as he saw her. “Miranda, I—”

“Did you suspend your classes?” she interrupted.

Paul froze. Then, he heard her ask, “Is it because of me?”

Miranda’s gaze was full of emotions that he couldn’t quite decipher. She looked at him with a mixture of complexity and something like resignation.

Paul met her eyes and remained silent for a few seconds. Finally, he said, “I just did what I had to do.”

She lowered her gaze. “The college’s probably not happy about it, right?”

His lips tightened. “I don’t care how they feel.” His only responsibility was to Miranda.

“Was it worth it?” she asked.