He was starting up the path to the dining hall when he heard the dorm door thunk shut followed by another pair of feet pattering down the steps. “Archer!” Caleb jogged up to him and slid his arms around him. “You should have woken me up.”

Archer hugged him back. Caleb smelled the same as ever—fresh and light, like the breeze off a meadow on a spring day. “You looked like you were fast asleep, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Caleb pulled back, big brown eyes wide, and squeezed Archer’s forearms. “I wanted to say again that I’m sorry. It was stupid of me to keep messing around with Steve.”

“It’s okay.” Archer gave Caleb a quick kiss. “I mean it.”

“Yeah? You’re amazing.” Caleb pulled Archer in tight for another hug. “I’m all yours now. I want you to know that.”

“I know.”

“We still have almost three months together. It’s going to be so fun.”

Three months, Archer thought. The summer, nothing more. And that was fine. That was exactly what he had been thinking. Archer took Caleb’s hand and started walking again. “Absolutely.”

As the six o’clock show approached, Archer and Caleb were lounging together on Archer’s bed, sharing a bag of gummy bears and watching ballet reels, when Archer’s phone rang.

“Fuck,” he muttered when he saw his mom’s name. “I have to take this.”

“Okay, but be quick, or I can’t promise there will be any gummies left,” Caleb warned, popping another red bear into his mouth.

“No red ones, anyway.” Archer smiled and gave Caleb a quick kiss on his forehead before he headed down the hall and out the door.

“Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad,” he said when he answered.

“Oh, there he is,” his mom replied. “We called you on your birthday, you know.”

“I know, Mom.” Archer leaned against the railing, tilting his head back to take in the leafy green patterns, vibrant against snatches of blue sky. “Thanks. It was just really late when I got your message.”

“Hmm. How are things? Did you get a birthday cake?”

Archer told them about the trip into town, the surprise party, and the sweet gifts his friends had given him.

“Beer fund?” was his dad’s reply. “I hope you aren’t drinking too much.”

“What? Dad, I’m … It’s fine.”

“I was talking to Lulu Hammond, who works at the bank?” Archer’s mom said, as if this was a normal direction for the conversation to go. “And she said her brother-in-law is looking to add another accountant to their practice. You know, that big one in the building across from the courthouse?”

Archer rubbed his forehead. “I still have three months to go here, Mom.”

“Of course, but I’m just saying, you won’t have many chances to get a job at a firm like that.”