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“Go, Daddy!” Sophie yells, dancing in her seat and waving a little pom-pom in the air. “Woo-hoo!”
Dane’s smile is brilliant. He crosses the stage. The president shakes his hand and awards him a diploma in a dark blue embossed holder.
“Congratulations, Mr. Armstrong,” he says with a smile. “Very well done.”
I clap until my hands hurt, pausing only to wipe my cheeks. As Dane returns to his seat, he catches my eye, and I blow him a kiss. He presses his hand to his heart, and though he’d swear it was a trick of the lights, I’m pretty sure his eyes are glittering with tears.
Though I can hardly wait to hug him, we applaud and cheer for all the other graduates who have worked so hard for their high school equivalency degrees.
Dane’s fellow classmates range from twenty to fifty-four years old. Having dropped out of high school for various reasons, they all have jobs and most have families and children. They’ve been taking classes together for two years and working toward the same goal—a diploma that officially turns them from dropouts into graduates.
After the ceremony, they descend from the stage to join their friends and family.
“Daddy!” Sophie throws herself at him in a bear hug. “Congratulations. You did so good!”
“Thanks, honey.” Dane presses his lips to the top of her head and looks up to meet my eyes.
Though I try to be more sedate, I end up throwing myself at him too. I fling my arms around his neck and plant a full kiss on his beautiful mouth.
“I’m so freaking proud of you,” I whisper.
He presses his forehead against mine and rests his hand briefly on my round, pregnant belly. For an instant, even in the midst of the crowd, it’s just the two of us—our breaths and hearts entwining.
I let him go to accept accolades from everyone else.
“Congratulations, Dane.” Wes steps forward, his hand outstretched.
The two men shake hands and pull each other into a hug.
“Nicole would be so happy for you,” Wes says, his voice choked.
“Thanks, man.” Dane squeezes his shoulders, and sorrow passes between them over the lingering loss of Dane’s sister and Wes’s wife.
Selina and Kevin extend their pride-filled hugs and congrats, and we make the rounds to the other graduates before heading over to High Tide for a big celebration party that includes the entire staff and their families.
Sophie falls asleep on the way home, and Dane carries her upstairs. Over the years, we’ve expanded the cottage to include a renovated kitchen, a second full bath, a sunroom, and two extra bedrooms—though Dane is making plans for another one “just in case.”
After we kiss our daughter good night, he goes to change out of his suit and tie. I sit at the kitchen counter and open the box of leftover graduation cake, not bothering with a plate.
As I dig a fork into the thick icing, Dane comes in.
“I didn’t get a second piece,” I explain, holding out the fork to him. “Want some?”
“Hell yeah, I want some.” He wraps his arms around me and rubs his scruff against my neck.
“Hmm.” I shiver with delight and lick the frosting off the fork. “I meant the cake.”
“So did I.” He nuzzles my ear. “You’re all the cake I need.”
“Feel free to take as much as you want, then.” With a smile, I turn on the stool and look into his heartbreakingly beautiful eyes. “Congratulations, Dane. I know you’ve been hearing that all night, but no one deserves it more than you. Not only have you turned High Tide into a phenomenal success—one that even ended up on aFood Networkshow—you did it while excelling in all the classes needed to earn your diploma and graduating with the highest honors, all while being the most incredible, devoted husband and father in the history of time.”
“I’m not crying.” His eyes glitter as he kisses my nose. “You’re crying.”
I laugh and slide my arms around his waist. He pulls me into the warm, solid strength of his body.
“I couldn’t have done any of it without you.” He presses his face into my hair. “You know that. You inspire me every minute of every day.”
“Yep.” I tighten my arms around him. “I’m crying a little.”
