Page 68 of Reaching Gavin

Epilogue

May

“Cassandra Marie Hart.”

I walked up the stairs toward the stage, hoping I didn’t step on my graduation gown. Why had I chosen such impractical shoes? It was a serious character flaw. I paused as the Dean handed me my diploma, looking out into the crowd I spotted my family. They weren’t hard to find, because despite the admonishment at the beginning of the ceremony to wait for applause until everyone had walked, they were screaming and cheering. Gavin was smashed into a seat between my dad and my mom. He wasn’t cheering—following rules—but he didn’t have to, his face was filled with pride. I gave them an embarrassed wave and trekked down to the other side of the makeshift platform.

The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur. Jillian received her diploma a few dozen people later. She stopped and did the rock ’n roll sign to her people, probably in a move to see if she could ruffle her mother’s feathers. Jess was the last of us to officially graduate, since she’d hyphenated her name. I cheered for each of them. We’d gotten through this.

Together.

My girls joined me in the waiting area off the stage as the rest of the class was called. I wrapped my arms around each of them, giving them a big hug. In some ways this with the end of an era. We’d all be going off to do our own thing soon. Jess was headed off to Oregon to medical school at a university that had a position available for Roman. Jillian was going even farther. I didn’t want to think about the distance that would soon be between the three of us. Or how I wouldn’t be able to see them every day. Our lives were starting. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. But I knew that no matter what, they would be a phone call or a plane ride away.

“We did it,” Jess said with a shriek. It was uncharacteristically giddy of her. I knew how she felt.

“And I didn’t fall on my face,” I told them.

“And I didn’t throw up!” Jillian said, equally excited.

Jess looked back at the stage and out to the quad where the ceremony had taken place. She smiled softly and said so only we could hear, “We survived.”

When Gavin had toldme that he had planned a graduation party, I hadn’t expected this. Neither had Jillian parents, judging from the grim look on Tara’s face. Of course, that might have something to do with Jillian’s other bit of news. My own parents had already come and gone, tired from their red eye flight into town this morning. Cheesy Pete’s was only for the intrepid adult on a weekend night.

“I’m going to get another pitcher,” Roman announced, getting up from the table.

“Will you get me a water?” Jillian asked him.

It wasn’t even a question. We were all fawning over her at the moment.

Liam stood up to join him. “I’ll come and help.”

“How many men does it take to get a pitcher of beer?” Jess joked.

“I miss beer,” Jillian grumbled and I gave her a sympathetic frown.

Gavin was off somewhere, too. Probably paying the obscene bill for the insane amount of food our party had scarfed down. He’d rented out the entire arcade. Somehow spending the evening with my best friends and my family together, drinking beer, and playing Skee-Ball was the perfect way to wrap up my college life and start my adult one.

“Is that what Roman gave you for graduation?” Jillian craned to see the locket that Jess was wearing. She nodded and held it away from her neck so that we could inspect it. “It was his grandmother’s.”

“That’s so sweet,” Jillian said. With a sigh, she patted her stomach. “All Liam gave me was this.”

I stuck my tongue out at her. “Don’t pretend like you didn’t have something to do with that.”

“Oh, I did,” she said smugly.

“How did Tara handle the news?” Jess asked, glancing over her shoulder as if Tara might appear like Bloody Mary when her name was mentioned.

“She turned ten shades of red.” Jillian smiled, as if this memory pleased her.

“She turned purple,” Liam corrected her, taking the chair next to his fiancée. “I thought she might have had an aneurism.”

“She’s upset that we aren’t married,” Jillian explained. “It doesn’t matter that I decided to have a baby while my body still could. Nope, it’s more important that she gets to plan a wedding.”

“Hey, I asked you to marry me,” Liam said defensively.

“And I said yes!” Jillian laughed and leaned over to kiss him, wiping the disgruntled look from his face instantly.

“You still haven’t done it,” he said, as he took the hand that wore his ring.