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“I’ll be quiet.” I ducked my head like a naughty child.
Beside me Willow laughed heartily.
What felt like forever later they finally reached the end of the list and Grace Isabel Wentworth was called to the stage.
She shook hands with the principal as he handed her the diploma and she beamed up at the stands with a triumphant smile that said I did it.
Yes you did, Gracie.
I couldn’t hear it from where we sat, but I knew she giggled as she ran forward to take her seat once more. Her brown hair billowed around her shoulders and her happiness was contagious.
I was glad I’d stayed to be here.
It would’ve sucked to miss this.
The class tossed their black and red caps in the air and a whole new crop of kids joined the real world.
Good luck to ‘em.
The family in the stands began to disperse, heading down to the field to meet up with their kids.
“We’re going out for dinner,” I told Willow as we waited for the stands to empty, “you wanna come?”
Her lips pursed in thought and she eventually nodded. “Yeah, that would be nice.”
“It’ll be like old times.”
She laughed and tilted her head back slightly to look at me. “Not that old, Dean. You make it sound like I’ve been gone forever.”
Feels like it.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I mumbled, ducking my head.
The stands finally cleared enough for us to step into the aisle.
My hand settled at the top of her waist and I felt her body stiffen.
“Oh, sorry.” I let my hand fall.
She glanced back at me and her cheeks were stained a light pink color.
“It’s okay. You just startled me.” She tugged her bottom lip slightly with her teeth—a telltale sign that Willow was lying.
I chose not to call her on it.
We finally managed to make it onto the field and find Grace—who was running around to all her friends and screaming, “I love you! I’m gonna miss you! Stay in touch!” Girls were sentimental like that. Guys either didn’t say anything or just said see you later.
When my mom finally corralled her she made all of us pose for countless family pictures—even dragging W
illow into a bunch of them, because Willow was family even if it wasn’t by blood.
“I can’t believe you’ll be headed off to college in the fall,” my mom cried, straightening a piece of Grace’s hair. “Why’d you have to grow up so fast?”
“Mom,” Grace groaned, becoming embarrassed by mom’s theatrics.
My dad wrapped an arm around my mom’s waist and pulled her against him. Kissing her forehead he said, “Olivia, you’re embarrassing her.”
“I’m her mother, that’s my job,” she reasoned, making all of us laugh.
