“Sure, I’ll grab them.” I jogged into the study that Easton had taken over upon moving in and kept an ear out for the sound of the shower turning off. Once Easton was finished, he’d want to eat, so I needed to hurry up with lunch. “One sec, I have no idea what Easton’s filing process is.”

Quickly, I searched the stack of folders on the desk and found what my father was looking for. As I relayed the information, my gaze landed on the corner of an envelope peeking out from the desk drawer. A Queen Elizabeth stamp was affixed on the thick paper.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” My father hesitated. “Are you well? You sound off.”

I sighed. His way of asking if I still thought I’d made the right choice by moving in with Easton. My parents had been so against it. After all, in Ghanaian culture, it just wasn’t done. They were so old school. You only moved in with someone after you’d done a traditional engagement ceremony.

The mere thought of marriage made my stomach clench. Not that Easton hadn’t hinted it was the next logical step. But every time I thought about it, it felt like someone was tying a noose around my neck.

“I’m fine, Dad,” I said as I tried to pull the drawer open. It didn’t budge.

“Have you selected a school yet?”

“Uhm…” My voice trailed as I grabbed the letter opener and tried to slide it into the drawer to pop the latch. “I need to. I was hoping to hear from University of West London.”

My father harrumphed. “A photography course does not qualify as school.”

I could almost see him grumbling and pacing in his office. “Dad, actually, it does. The program is prestigious, and it's at an accredited university.”

My father's accented voice pitched lower. “Abena, what do you think you’re going to do with a master’s in photography? You’re supposed to go to law school.” Of course, to Ghanaian parents, the only appropriate professions and worthwhile educational pursuits included law, medicine, and engineering. I ignored the prick of pain his disappointment caused. I was used to it by now.

“Dad. You already have one daughter who’s a lawyer. Besides, with the photography, there's a lot I'm planning to do. With a recommendation from my professor, opportunities in production would open for places like National Geographic and a career in documentary films.”

And I was sure a recommendation from Xander Chase would open those kinds of doors. But I didn’t care about those doors. What I was after was the apprentice position offered to his top student.

“Abena, you can’t put all your eggs into one basket. You have to have a backup plan.”

“I know. I know. I’ll be looking at all the offers tonight, and I’ll make a decision by the weekend.” I could only hope and pray that the acceptance came before then. I really only had two more days to stall.