Page 137 of My All American Girl

58

DEAN

Eight Months Later

Istepped in front of the mirror and adjusted my tie. It had been a long time since I put on a suit. I thought about wearing my uniform but decided to leave it in the closet. This was Sarah’s day. I didn’t want to steal her thunder. I wanted people to look at her—not me. I’d been supporting her for the last eight months and I didn’t regret it for a minute.

It was a new way of life for me. At first, I did miss the daily grind. I even missed PT at the crack of dawn. At first. But now, I liked my life. I liked working at the bar with Jude. We had managed to take care of a lot of the repairs that had been ignored for too long. We thought about really giving the place a facelift but changed our minds. The rundown look gave the place character.

I checked the time and realized I needed to get going. Mo was going to save me a seat, but he would be pissed if I didn’t show up at least thirty minutes early. I left the apartment I was renting about three miles from base. Sarah stayed with me when she could, but her time was mostly spent on base. I cherished the time we managed to get together.

The auditorium was packed when I walked in. Thankfully, Mo was who he was and had prime seating, even though he wasn’t currently occupying his spot. I craned my neck to see over the heads of everyone else in the audience. The excitement was palpable. Proud parents, wives, kids, and every other familial relation packed into the seats. Next to me, Meg was practically vibrating with anticipation. I scanned the stage and spotted Mo, fully decorated and in uniform, making his way to the microphone.

Karen took several pictures. Her pride at seeing her husband up there and knowing her oldest daughter was about to graduate had her practically glowing.

I glanced at Meg. “How’s school going?”

“Good,” she said, her gaze looking around the room, searching for Sarah. “A little boring compared to everything that’s happening here. But it’s alright.”

“I’m sure,” I replied, studying her for a moment. She looked so much like Sarah, but younger, less hardened by life.

The room suddenly quieted down as Mo cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Today, we celebrate the graduates of this year’s Undergraduate Pilot Training program. This group has shown remarkable dedication, resilience, and skill. They should be proud of themselves, as we are proud of them.”

He paused, allowing his words to sink in. “They will always look back on this year as one of the best of their lives—even if parts of it felt brutal.” There were chuckles and nods of agreement from those who understood the grueling process all too well.

My eyes searched the graduates until I found her. Sarah was standing tall, beaming with pride. She looked radiant in her uniform, her smile lighting up the room. She was top of her class, unsurprisingly.

Mo began introducing each of the graduates by name. I clapped along with the rest of the crowd as each one came up to shake his hand and accept their diploma.

And then it was Sarah’s turn. There was a moment’s pause before her name was called.

“Next we have… Sarah Thomas.”

A chorus of cheers erupted from our corner of the room as she walked onto the stage with a wide grin on her face. My heart swelled with love. Mo embraced her, pride written all over his face.

This was her moment. She had earned it.

The ceremony continued but I was hardly aware of it. My attention focused on Sarah as she left the stage and rejoined her fellow graduates. Her eyes found mine in the crowd. We shared a secret smile that made my heart skip a beat.

The ceremony finally came to an end. The crowd rose to their feet for a standing ovation as the graduates filed out. I managed to weave my way through the throng of people, congratulating families and friends along the way.

Sarah was waiting for me, her cap in one hand and her certificate in the other. Her eyes sparkled with pure joy. “I did it!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me.

“You did,” I confirmed, my hands resting on her waist. She looked up at me, her smile brilliant. I could see relief in her eyes, but more importantly, I saw pride. She was proud of herself and that meant more to me than anything else. She had earned her spot. She never once rested on her name or her father’s connections. She never used our relationship to her advantage.

“Come here,” I said, pulling her closer. Leaning down, I pressed my lips to hers in a tender kiss. It was a promise of devotion, of love, of commitment. She responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around my neck, forgetting all about the fact we were surrounded by people.

Pulling back slightly, she looked at me with raw emotion. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For believing in me. For pushing me. For even setting me straight when I got a little sideways.”

“I always will,” I told her honestly. “Congratulations, Lieutenant Thomas.

She pulled back slightly, her eyes sparkling. “I like the sound of that.”

Before we could say more, her friends surrounded us, shouting their congratulations. Kylee, Rolley, and Clay were all there, despite their own struggles and disappointments. Kylee had graduated but not the guys.

“Can you get a picture of us together?” Kylee asked as she handed me her phone.