SOMETHING STUPID - JAMES MAGUIRE

044

-one year later-

"So are you gonna open it?"

Nora, Cillian, Cara and Hugh all sat in at the Kelly kitchen table, staring at an unopened letter. 

"I don't think I will" Nora squeaked, eyes locked on the letter. It held her name, as well as the clear stamp mark of 'The National College of Art and Design'. 

"Honey you have to open it" Cillian turned to his daughter. To say the whole group had been anxious about this letter was an understatement. With Nora's almost obsessive amount of designing, sewing and overall fashion creation over the past 5 months: it was hard not to build an interest in her results. 

"Nora, you can't hide form it for ever" Cara spoke softly to the girl. 

"But I literally can" Nora tried to justify. 

She had never been this stressed in her entire life. This is what she had been working for the past 2 years and the idea of it all being for nothing made her want to jump out a window "

I can handle not going to the school, but I can't handle being rejected" 

"So what do you suppose we do?" Cillian questioned 

"Burn the letter" 

"You are not setting fire to anything in this house" Cillian put an end to Nora's idea instantly. 

"Well it doesn't have to be burnt we just have to destroy the letter" 

"I think that's a bit excessive" Cara pointed out the the stressing girl

"No it's not, the letter must be gone" 

"You can't just just run from your issues" 

"Yes I can!" 

"She got in" The three arguing 'adults' turned to see Hugh sitting there reading off the opened letter. 

"Really?" Nora asked, running up behind the boy to lean over his shoulder and read the later. It was clear as day, she had been accepted. Come the start of the next year, she was going to be studying fashion design in Dublin. 

"I'm in! I'm in!" the girl began screaming giving Hugh a big hug. 

"Of course you are honey" Cillian congratulated his daughter, pretending as if they hadn't just been yelling at each other seconds before. 

"You go Nora!" Cara cheered, a big smile on her face. 

"I can't believe this.. I just... I-" Nora couldn't verbalise the joy she was feeling, instead stumbling through random sounds as she continuously jumped up and down. "I'm going to Dublin!" she screamed in excitement. 

"Don't remind me of that part yet" Cillian scolded the girl, not wanting to think of the fact in 5 months Nora would no longer be living with him "I'm gonna miss you a lot kiddo" he smiled ruffling her hair. 

"It's really not that far da, and I'll make sure to visit" Nora comforted her father. 

"Still, it will be hard for him all alone" Cara quickly added, her eyes bearing into Cillian "in this big empty house"