Pomp And Circumstance [COMPLETE]

Epilogue

"And so, graduating class of Meriton Charter, we leave here today not just graduates. But friends. Family. A community."

Eli stood at the center of the universe and every set of eyes in Meriton Charter's football stadium were glued on him. Even the tall glowing stadium lights seemed to have shifted to spotlight him. Darcy couldn't stop smiling. Her cheeks hurt and her heart glowed with pride as she watched her boyfriend make the closing remarks at their graduation.

Darcy could have mouthed the words along with Eli as he spoke. He had spent countless hours in her living room, standing in front of the fireplace with an imaginary podium before him, reciting the speech over and over again, looking out into the middle distance each time. Darcy had the speech just as memorized as he did. Especially since she had helped him write it.

Darcy looked over the heads of her classmates to the bleachers beyond where all the friends and family, the whole town sat, to celebrate with the graduates.

Darcy spotted her row easily enough. The Bennetts took up the first half, all the younger siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, packed in together. Mr. Bennett's eyes were glowing with soft tears that threatened to fall while his wife sitting next to him couldn't stop blowing her nose into a handkerchief, her tears flowing freely.

Jamie tried patting his mom's shoulder to comfort her but there was nothing to do. Next to him sat Charlie, then Henry and Lois. Darcy's eyes glazed over the three of them and came to rest on George. He wasn't watching Eli. He was watching Darcy. He waved when their eyes met and Darcy returned the gesture. George leaned over nudged his companion, pointing out where Darcy sat at the very end of her section, the last seat on the last row. Darcy waved to her father. He beamed back, his smile wide, his own eyes glowing.

Darcy's heart squeezed at the sight of her family, lined up in a little row, watching her, supporting her, together.

Lois had spilled the beans early. She had been too excited to see Marco reunited with his family. It didn't matter that his plane had landed late, that he was completely jet-lagged and barely conscious. She blurted out Darcy's big news as he was eating cold pasta on the kitchen counter.

His fork hung in mid-air while his brain processed what Lois had just told him. He looked to Darcy for confirmation. She nodded. His fork was forgotten. As was his jet lag. He wrapped his daughter up in a big hug and whispered in her ear that he was proud of her, that her mother would be proud of her.

Once all the tears were shed and wiped away, Darcy and her father stayed up late planning the next year of their lives, what life would look like now that Darcy would be working full time at the gallery, full time with her father. He swore, then and there, to change his summer plans. They had too much work to do and he wanted to get started right away.

The idea of college seemed a far-away memory that Darcy was having trouble remembering as excitement and enthusiasm filled her father's eyes.

"It doesn't matter who we are, how long we've been here. Some of us have been here since kindergarten. And some of us showed up only a few months ago."

Eli's voice booming through the speakers brought Darcy's attention back to the stage at the end of the field. He was looking directly at her when he spoke his next line.

"We have all had an impact on each other. Forever. It is with great pride that I stand here today, to represent this year's graduating class, as your salutatorian. And now, Meriton graduates, I ask that you join me in the moving of our tassels."

One wave of movement rippled through the seats as they followed Eli's example, everyone moving their tassels from one side to the next.

"That's it, guys. We did it!"