“Of course I forgive you. But you can see how you created half of those problems for yourself, right?” His lips push together into a decidedly unhappy line, so I consider letting everything go after the whopper of a day he’s had, but then I remember Amelia’s words about moving forward how you mean to go on. To soften my words, I kiss his lips gently first. “You leaning on me, I can take. But you attacking me with no explanation, isn’t okay.”
“I didn’t mean to attack you.”
“I know. But if we’re going to share our lives together, I want to be your anchor, not your whipping post.”
“Jesus, woman, you’re killing me here.”
“I’m sorry. That’s not my intention. I just want us to be on the same side of the divide, you know?”
“I do know, and you’re right. About all of it.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“A girl could get used to hearing that.”
The corners of his mouth tip up. “Are we good then?” he asks, his expression hopeful. “If I promise not to put on a repeat performance?”
“Please,” I say, leaning in to kiss his lips. “You know perfectly well that I’m going to cry again at some point and you’re going to get mad.”
He surprises me by nodding. “Yeah, okay. But I promise to be more careful. I love you so much.”
I kiss him again. “I could definitely get used to hearing that.”
“I love you so much,” he repeats, making me giggle. “Am I allowed to drag you into the bedroom, caveman style, and make this whole thing up to you now?”
“I don’t know. Depends on what caveman style involves. There won’t be any dragging me around by my hair, which, by the way, you have yet to notice that I got cut.”
He studies my hair. “It looks the same.”
I push at his shoulder in mock outrage. “I’ll have you know I got at least a quarter of an inch taken off.”
“Well, maybe it’ll be more noticeable when you aren’t wearing any clothes.” He pushes forward to the edge of the couch and then stands with me wrapped around his waist, carrying me to the bedroom.
“Scott, I’m too heavy for you to be hauling around like this.”
He maneuvers us through my bedroom door. “Sorry, but it’s a necessary component of my caveman style.” He settles us on the bed and lets his weight push me into the mattress.
“Any more components I should know about?” I ask cheekily. “Maybe some ropes?”
He laughs. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Such a dirty girl, my Opal.”
Any reply I may have had is cut off by his mouth on mine.
Scott
After the upheaval of that Monday afternoon, the next couple of weeks are peaceful in comparison. I don’t hear from Jorgie, but I’m good with that – for now. Honestly, his level of self-involvement is staggering; he endangered my crew, embarrassed me with my boss, and threw the job I got for him in my face. But believe me, I know Jorgie’s not the only one who has some growing up to do. His actions may have spurred me on, but it was me who tore a hole in the fabric of my relationship with Ellie. So far, the stitches are holding . . . I’d even go so far as to say they’ve bound us more firmly together. It’s a funny thing love, how it ransacks your soul, looking for those emotions that normally just simmer and brings them to a full boil. One would think I’d go out of my way to avoid the intensity. But no. When it comes to Ellie, I irrationally embrace it wholeheartedly.
It’s with these thoughts rolling around in my head that the girls and I cross the Stanford campus on foot to the stadium for Ellie’s graduation. On her advice, we parked closer to where we’ll end the day than where we’ll start. I don’t mind. It’s a nice walk. In their best dresses, under a sunny June sky, the girls skip ahead on the sidewalk, chattering away with excitement and I couldn’t be more pleased with my decision to bring them.
Once we’re in the actual stadium, the girls are even more excited, especially with the pomp and circumstance of the initial stages of the ceremony. But as the weather gets warmer and the speeches become more tedious, their patience wanes. This isn’t unexpected though and I distract them with the game of quietly speculating where in the sea of black gowns Ellie is sitting. Then we move on to what they’re going to study in college, like it’s a given that they’ll be going. I figure it can’t hurt to put the idea in their heads now while they’re so young. They’ve asked Ellie about it a few times and they always listen carefully to every piece of information she gives them. I’m not sure if it’s the subject they’re enthralled with or Ellie herself, but I’m not going to complain either way. Predictably, Carmen and Rosa want to be kindergarten teachers, but Daniela informs me she’s going to be an actor. I love how she seems to mull it over when I say that would make her a drama major.
By the time we file out of the stadium, their energy is flagging. After the trek back to where the diploma ceremony for the Political Science graduates will be held, I sit them down in our chairs and open Carmen’s little backpack to hand out granola bars in the hopes of forestalling any outbursts brought on by being tired and hungry.
Closer to the stage, I spy Ellie’s parents and then in the section for the graduates, I see Ellie herself, standing and waving at us. We all wave back and the way I can feel my smile to the very depths of my heart almost embarrasses me.
Thankfully this ceremony isn’t quite as long as the commencement. When it ends, I watch Ellie briefly touch base with her parents before she makes her way over to us. She throws her arms around me and we squeeze each other tight.
“I did it,” she whispers excitedly in my ear.
I bury my nose in her neck, soaking her up. “Congratulations, sweetness.”
When she pulls away, I’m surprised to see her eyes are bright with emotion, so I pull her back against my chest and hold her close for another moment. “I’m so happy for you,” I tell her as she nods her forehead against my collar bone.
“Ellie?” I hear.
We look down at the three animated faces tipped up at us.
“Oh, you guys,” Ellie gushes. “You look so pretty.”
Their smiles get impossibly wider.
“Did you hear us clap for you when they called your name?” Daniela asks. “We clapped as loud as we could.”
Ellie leans over to pull Daniela in for a hug. “I did hear you. I loved it. It was like having my very own cheering section.” She doles out hugs for Rosa and then Carmen too. “Were you guys terribly bored?”
“No, we were good,” Rosa announces.
“They were good,” I confirm, liking Rosa’s diplomatic answer.
“In that case we should go get some lunch.” She looks to me. “Maybe your dad will take us to Chipotle since it’s my favorite.”
“I think that can be arranged.”
“Ellie!” a voice calls and we all turn to watch a woman in heels and a classy black dress approach.
“Soph? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” she says sweetly.