Her eyes glow. “Just kiss me.”
Obediently, I erase the last inches between us. When my lips meet hers, the images that dance across my closed eyelids are a kaleidoscope of our past and our future. Of the moments we’ve shared and the milestones yet to come.
I know it won’t be easy; we have more work to do together in counseling and individually as we move through the parts of our pasts that threaten to hold us back. But we’re committed to each other and our relationship.
We both know this love between us was always so much more than a summer fling.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
Aftertwoyearsofhard work, high tuition payments, and way too little free time to spend with my girlfriend, I’m finally graduating with my occupational therapy doctorate degree.
I still need to pass the board exams for my state licensure, but I already have a job lined up with an outpatient clinic here in Austin where I’ll specialize in working with young kids and NICU graduates. It’s a dream, honestly.
I fell in love with this patient population when I worked at a similar clinic in Dallas during one of my semester-long fieldwork rotations, and now I’ll be getting paid for it.
On the drive to the event venue where the graduation ceremony is being held, I give my family a heads-up that I’ll be getting an award.
Olivia gasps, and my dad asks, “What kind of award?”
“I don’t know. Some award, but it means I get to give a speech. Plus, it will look good on my résumé.”
“That’s amazing!” Annie exclaims.
My mom turns around in the front passenger seat and pats my leg. “We’re so proud of you, Gage.”
We park at the venue, and my family walks me inside where they’ll meet up with Maggie and her family. As we make our way through the parking lot, my classmates stop me for high fives and hugs, offering up their congratulations.
“Congrats on the Luminary Award, Gage. I voted for you!”
“Hey, Mr. Luminary hotshot! Well deserved, man.”
“Can’t wait to hear your speech!”
Olivia, who’s walking next to me, my arm around her shoulder, notices the comments, and the thoughtful look on her face tells me she’s processing. She pulls out her phone and types something as we make our way toward the building.
Suddenly, she stops and gasps at something on her phone screen. She lifts her eyes to me and, in one fluid motion, punches me in the arm.
“Ow!” I moan. “Is that any way to treat the graduate?”
“‘Some award?’ You called it ‘some award?’” She thrusts her phone into Annie’s face. “Look at this!”
Annie starts reading, then grabs the phone from Olivia’s hand. “Oh my gosh! Gage!”
My mom and dad crowd in to read over her shoulder.
Olivia puts her hands on her hips. “Gage Donovan Carter! You won the Hinojosa Luminary Award?”
Without waiting for me to answer, Annie reads from the screen. “The Hinojosa Luminary Award goes to the graduating OT student that best embodies the program values of professionalism, excellence, innovation, and integrity. The winner is voted on by program faculty and peer students from the graduating class.”
My dad adjusts his glasses. “That sounds like a pretty big deal, son.”
Olivia punches my arm again. “It sounds like averybig deal! Why didn’t you tell us?”
I shrug, looking between my family members.
Olivia moves her hand, and I flinch, thinking she’s going to punch me again. Instead, she puts her hands on my cheeks, squishing my face. She looks into my eyes and smiles.
