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I rest my hand on my stomach. Never did I think I’d be pregnant sitting at my boyfriend’s college graduation, but here I am. And I’m insanely proud of Miles. I never did the college graduation thing. I was interested in becoming a lawyer eventually, so I did a pre-law degree. Like Sarah, I graduated in only three years. My mom was already showing signs of Alzheimer’s, so rather than jump into law school, I got a good job as a paralegal and moved my mom with me. College graduation was the least of my concerns. I had to grow up and figure out my life.
For completely different reasons, I think Miles feels similarly. I’ve been his primary focus lately. Well, me and our baby.Our baby.We’ve done everything upside down and backward. We’ve known each other barely two months, I’m pregnant, and we’ve been dating for only a week—officially. Unofficially, I suppose it’s been longer. We’ve barely gotten to enjoy being a couple since I was back at work all week. It all changes now, though. Tomorrow we’ll finish moving into our apartmenttogether.It still feels insane when I think of how all this has happened, but I’m cautiously happy.
Cautious because after all I’ve been through, it seems like the big, beautiful things in life are too good to be true. Or at least too good to last for long.
Miles
Six more people in front of me before I walk across the stage and accept my diploma. A few months ago, today would’ve felt like one of the biggest achievements of my life. Now it’s not even the biggest achievement of the weekend. Tomorrow, Amelia and I officially start living together. And as for big achievements, becoming a dad is much bigger.
Four people left. I look over my shoulder at the area where Amelia, my parents, and my friends’ parents are sitting. This is it. The end of college. And in some ways, it feels like the end of doing everything with my best friends. I have no doubt they will all still be a daily part of my life, but after sixteen years of spending most of our time together and living two minutes from each other—the last four of which we lived in the same place—it’s going to be different. We’re all growing and focusing on new parts of our lives. For the first time ever, I’ll be more than two minutes from them all. It’s a strange feeling, but my priorities have already shifted to Amelia and our baby.
One more person. I rub my hands together, then take a calming breath, putting my mask on. One foot in front of the other. I move toward the stage and wait.
“Miles Hyun-Hansen.”
There’s polite applause scattered through the stadium with a pocket of whoops and cheers from the humanities section of the graduating students where Rae, Aaron, Mackie, and Chelsea are, and extra loud cheers and applause from the section of stadium where Amelia and my parents are.
I shake my department head’s hand, then the dean’s as I take my diploma, walk to the other end of the stage, and flip my tassel. As I do, I look up into the stands, eyes locking with Amelia’s. She’s clapping and smiling. Then my eyes drift back to my friends, still waiting to graduate. They whistle and cheer, and I walk down the stairs, smiling.
The rest of the ceremony drags on and on. Aaron, Rae, Mackie, and Chelsea are in the next group of graduates, Amanda is in the middle, but Joel and Trevor are in the last, and by the time they’ve made it through all the departments in this graduation session, everyone is burned out and wilting in the sun.
I’m out of my seat the second I can be. Amelia’s been in the sun as long as I have. I hope she brought water with her. And a snack. I should’ve packed something for her this morning. I glance around the stadium and see coolers with water and go straight for them. Grabbing a bottle for me and one for her, I look toward the entrance to the field, trying to spot Amelia, my parents, or my sisters.
“Hey,” Joel says, clapping me on the shoulder. “Trying to escape already?”
He’s standing there, eyebrows raised, with Aaron, Rae, and Mackie next to him.
“Oh. No. Shit, I’m just trying to make sure Amelia has water. That ceremony took a lot longer than I was expecting.”
“Tell me about it,” Rae says. “Oh, I see them.” She waves as our families walk toward us, Amelia and Sarah leading the way.
“Hey,” Amelia says with a smile. “Gray polyester looks great on you.”
I lean down and give her a quick kiss. “Thanks. I’m drenched in sweat.”
“Sexy.”
“Here.” I hand her the water bottle. “Were you overheated? I should’ve gotten you one of those sun umbrellas.”
She stifles a laugh. “A parasol? I’m good. And I had my water bottle. I was hydrating. Luckily, there were plenty of opportunities to pee.” When I don’t say anything, she rolls her eyes, then opens the bottle of water and takes a nice long drink. “There, see? I’m hydrated. Now you get to be the one to walk me to the bathroom for my fifth pee of the morning.”
“Gladly,” I say, kissing her again.
“Ahem,” my mother says, clearing her throat.
Amelia laughs and steps back, letting my mother give me a big hug.
“Congratulations, honey. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
I exchange a hug with my dad, then look at my little sisters, who each wrap an arm around me at the same time.
“Good job not failing at life,” Addie says.
“There’s still time, though,” Jameson adds.
I roll my eyes as Amelia attempts and fails at stifling a laugh.
