By two-tenths of a point.
The one that I beat out? Rachel’s ex-boyfriend.
He was pretty cool about it, though.
“Wow,” he said as I took my seat next to him. “You brought a baby. To graduation.”
I snorted and moved Sunny until she was laying more comfortably in my arms.
“Derek was supposed to watch her,” I said. “But he had a SWAT call right when I was leaving.”
“Hmm,” he said. “That just seems perfect, eh?”
I laughed softly just as the principal started the ceremony.
“Did you write your speech?”
I looked over at my new friend and smiled. “No. I’m just going to wing it.”
***
Derek
I practically ran into the stadium with nearly all of the SWAT team on my heels.
I wasn’t sure why they were following me, but I wasn’t going to complain.
Avery needed all the support that she could get.
I arrived just in time to see her walking up to the podium, Sunny in her arms.
She smiled at everyone, grinning wide.
Her eyes swept over the area, her eyes focusing on the auditorium that was behind us, where just a few short years ago, not only her mother’s funeral took place but her father’s as well.
Her eyes focused back on the students that were in front of her on the football field.
The place where she would graduate.
Something I’d clearly almost missed.
“Hello,” she said, smiling to everyone. “I want to thank you for this honor.”
Everybody clapped.
Once it died down, Avery began talking again.
“I know that some of you know,” the baby gurgled, causing everyone to laugh. “Okay, we’ll start here first, since Sunny wants to make herself known. Sunny is my baby sister. Sunny’s mother died a few days ago, and now I’m her sole guardian.”
There were soft murmurs. “And my boyfriend, who was supposed to watch her, had to run a SWAT call, so here I am, bringing a baby to graduation.”
There were small chuckles, none of them coming from her classmates.
“Anyway, back to my speech.” She smiled. “I’m sure most of y’all know my story. My mother died when I was sixteen. Two years later, my father died,” she said softly. “Which explains why I’m graduating a year later than I originally intended.”
She swept her eyes through the students, smiling at a few, waving at others.
“I wouldn’t say that this has been easy,” she said. “Not even for y’all who didn’t have to overcome what I have.” She looked down at Sunny, who gurgled and called out a hello. “Five years ago for me, four for y’all, we entered this crazy life that we call high school. And though it hasn’t been easy, I’ll remember them for the rest of my life.” She looked out at the crowd. “I’ll remember the day that Annaliese got asked to the prom by Shawn. I’ll remember the day that Trevor’s father returned home from Afghanistan and surprised him in the middle of his senior pep rally. I’ll remember the time that the senior prank had the entire high school eating lunch outside due to the smell of the stink bomb that was set off in the cafeteria.” She paused. “But most of all, I’ll remember this day. The day that I officially became an adult. The day that I said goodbye to high school, and hello to real life.”
There was a short amount of applause, then Avery smiled.
“I can’t wait to see y’all on the other side,” she said.
Then just like that, she was walking away from the podium, collecting her diploma from the principal, and moving down the stairs.
We all yelled.
Every last student turned around to see who was causing that much noise.
I ignored them all, though, keeping my eyes on the beautiful woman now looking solely at me.
She didn’t go back to her seat. Instead, she walked directly toward me.
“Hey,” she said, smiling.
“Did it absolutely kill you to say nice stuff?” I teased.
She rolled her eyes, then smiled at the rest of the men who were leaning against the fence next to me.
“Thanks for coming, y’all!” She smiled.
I took the baby from her arms just as she received hugs from every single guy on the SWAT team.
“Shhh,” one of the parents complained.
I rolled my eyes and jerked my head to the side. “You ready to go home, sweets?”
Her smile was wide.
“Oh yes. Time to blow this popsicle stand for good.”
And we did just that.
Epilogue
I like your face. You should let me ride it.
-Avery to Derek
Derek
One year later
“I’m exhausted,” Avery mumbled to the table.
My mother was holding Katy’s youngest daughter, who they actually had decided to call Riggs, against her chest.
My father was holding Sunny, who was sound asleep, against his chest.
“Welcome to motherhood.” Katy snickered.
“I’m not sure I’m cut out for this,” Avery murmured. “I didn’t realize that I’d be this tired. All the freakin’ time.” She pushed around the food on her plate. “And when I’m not trying to take naps, I can’t eat. I can’t do anything, actually. Even the smell of the laundry detergent is making me want to vomit these days. I didn’t realize that sleep deprivation was this… in depth.”
I agreed.
“I thought by a year old that she was supposed to sleep better, not worse,” I found myself saying.
Katy walked over, a twin on one hip, and placed a basket of chicken fingers onto the table. Then she deposited the toddler into the highchair and pulled the basket closer to him.
“You don’t even know the meaning of sleep deprivation,” Rowen said, plopping down into her seat and handing the baby over to her husband, who followed her into the booth.
“I know that I got up last night at two, three, four, five, and six only to be called out at seven for a SWAT call,” I said.
Rowen scoffed. “I didn’t even go to sleep. I didn’t realize that colic was so awful.”
Rowen had her son, Maximillian, named after her father-in-law, a couple of months ago. Honestly, he was a good kid, even if he did have colic and make Rowen work hard.
“Maybe you’re pregnant,” Mom suddenly said, her eyes trained on Avery.
Avery opened her mouth and then closed it.
I felt something inside of me start to warm at the thought of getting her pregnant.
However, we’d been unofficially ‘trying’ for a while. I say trying. Really, it was just us having unprotected sex, not caring if it happened or not.
I looked over at the ring I’d put on her finger two months ago.
When I’d asked her to marry me, she’d said yes, on one condition.
I don’t want to have a big wedding. I want to get married at the courthouse, where I’m not reminded that I don’t have any family.