The pressure was starting to build in a way I hadn't anticipated. There had been days when I felt like I was floating—riding the momentum of the bookstore, the excitement of the expansion, the way Olivia and I had found this balance that worked for us. But today? Today, the weight of everything seemed heavier, more real.

I stared at the numbers on the spreadsheet in front of me, my eyes unfocused. The expansion was more than just an idea now; it was becoming a reality. The meeting with investors had gone well, maybe too well. They were all in, ready to help fund the second location of the bookstore. And as much as I was excited about the possibility, I couldn't help but feel a little panicked. This was a huge step, one I wasn't sure I was fully prepared for.

I ran my hand through my hair, trying to shake the tension in my neck. The bookstore was my baby, and I'd worked hard to get it to this point. But taking it to the next level? That was a whole new ballgame. There were permits, leases, contractors—so many moving pieces. And the clock was ticking. We needed to make decisions, and we needed to make them fast.

I glanced up and saw Olivia standing near the counter, scrolling through her phone. Her presence in the bookstore always calmed me, but today, even her quiet company didn't seem to be enough to settle my mind. She looked up at me, her brow furrowed slightly.

"You're awfully stressed today," she said, walking over to where I was sitting. Her voice was soft, but there was a hint of concern in her eyes. She always noticed when something was off with me. It was one of the things I loved about her.

"I'm just... thinking," I muttered, trying to focus on the task at hand. But my mind kept drifting back to the expansion and the fact that I couldn't handle it all on my own. I needed help. And I needed to figure out how to ask for it.

"About the expansion?" she asked, her tone gentle. "Max, you're allowed to be nervous. It's a big deal."

I nodded, leaning back in the chair and crossing my arms. "I don't know if I'm nervous. It's more like... overwhelmed. There's so much to think about. I don't want to screw it up."

"You won't," she said with quiet confidence. "But you don't have to do it all alone, you know?"

I met her gaze, appreciating the warmth in her eyes, but the weight of the responsibility felt like it was suffocating me. I didn't want to burden her with it, not when she had her own life to figure out.

"I know," I said, but it didn't feel true. "I just... I don't want to drag you into it too. You've already done so much for this place."

Olivia smiled softly, her eyes shining with something that looked like understanding. "Max, this is *our* bookstore. It's not just yours. You don't have to carry the load on your own."

I swallowed, feeling a tightness in my throat. "I don't want to disappoint you. Or anyone."

"You won't," she reassured me. "But you know what? This isn't the only thing on your plate right now, is it?"

I blinked, confused for a moment, before my brain caught up with her words. "What do you mean?"

Olivia's expression softened, and she set her phone down on the counter. "I remember you telling me about how you were going to support me with college. Well, it's time for me to register, Max. I can't do this on my own. I need you."

I froze. My chest tightened, and a rush of guilt hit me. Olivia had always been the one to support me, to be the rock I leaned on when everything felt uncertain. But now, with all this new pressure, the idea of adding more responsibility—especially something as important as Olivia's future—felt like too much.

"You want to register for college now?" I asked, trying to process it. "I thought you were still figuring it out."

"I was," she said, her voice steady. "But it's time. I've made up my mind. I'm going to study Fine Arts, Max. And I want you there when I do it."

The words hung in the air, and I could feel the significance of them. Olivia had always been so unsure about her future, but hearing her say it out loud—*Fine Arts*—was a kind of quiet strength I hadn't expected. She was stepping into something big, and I was still stuck in the details of my own ambitions.

I stood up, walking over to her and taking her hand. "I'm here, Liv. For whatever you need. I'll help you figure this out. You're not alone in this either."

Her eyes softened, but there was something in them I couldn't quite place. It wasn't relief, not yet. It was more like... hope. Like she was waiting for me to believe in her the way she believed in me.

"You mean that?" she asked quietly.

I nodded, squeezing her hand. "Of course I do. You're not just some afterthought, Liv. You're part of everything I'm doing—whether it's the bookstore or... or whatever comes next. You're a part of my future."

Her smile made my heart skip a beat. I wasn't the kind of guy to get all sappy about stuff, but with Olivia, everything felt more... real. Like it mattered.

We sat down at one of the tables, and I pulled out my laptop, opening the college registration page. I didn't know much about applying for Fine Arts programs, but I knew how to support Olivia through it. I wasn't going to let her face this on her own, not when it mattered so much.

She glanced at the screen, her finger tracing the words as we went over the options. "I don't even know where to start," she said, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. "What if I don't get in? What if I'm not good enough?"

I reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Liv, you're more than good enough. And if anyone's going to make it into an art program, it's you. Don't doubt yourself."

Her eyes met mine, and for the first time in a while, I could see the light flicker back in them. The confidence that had been buried beneath her doubts seemed to spark to life.

"You really think so?" she asked.

"I know so," I said, smiling. "Now let's get you registered."

As we filled out the application, Olivia's nervousness slowly started to fade. The pressure on me didn't disappear, but having her by my side, having this small piece of stability in the midst of everything, made the weight a little lighter.

We were both stepping into something new, something uncertain, but for once, I wasn't running from it. I wasn't trying to figure everything out on my own. With Olivia beside me, I knew we could handle anything that came our way—whether it was the bookstore expansion or her college dreams.