Twelve years later...
"Hurry up you two! We don't want to be late" I yelled up the stairs.
"Mom!" cried Andy. "Have you seen my gown? I have my cap but I can't find my gown." He sound frustrated.
"Andy, sweetie, I took your's and Andrea's gowns and pressed them to get the wrinkles out. They're down here on hangers" I replied. About two seconds later he bounded down the stairs followed by a prim, proper young lady, Andrea.
Andy grabbed me and swung me around, making me laugh out loud. He'd grown into a handsome young man, 6'3" and a muscly 230 pounds and he still had that sandy brown hair that he'd let grow a little longer than I liked but he was eighteen now and I had to let go; I was so proud of him.
I stared at my beautiful Andrea; she was my height 5'7" and a model-like figure of 125 pounds, her hair still sandy brown but it was straight, waist length and beautiful, just like her. Andy wore a white dress shirt, black dress pants and black Converse low-tops; Andrea was in a beautiful sleeveless lavender dress and black flats.
Finally dressed in their gowns, we were outside taking photos before we took off to the auditorium for the commencement ceremony.
"Okay, children" I joked as they were lovingly annoying each other. "Please stand still and act like you love each other." Andy had picked up that trademark smirk from Aiden and Andrea rolled her eyes; I have no idea where she got that from!
I got two great pictures when Andy called out "Mom, we need one with you and our dads."
Adrian took the camera from me and said "You first, baby." I stood in between my children, grinning and feeling more happy than I deserved to. I walked back over to Aiden and Adrian and told them they were next. They stood on either side of the children, arms around their shoulders, proudly smiling. We took some with Angelo, Marco and Sylvia and Duffy as well.
"Are we ready to go yet?" Andy whined.
"Good grief, Andy" huffed his sister. "Calm your farm" she finished leaving the rest of us doubled over with laughter.
We eventually got everyone into the car and told Duffy we were ready; Angelo, Marco and Aunt Syl followed us in their car. I took the time to study my children and mused to myself at how quickly twelve years had flown by. I was thankful that Adrian, Aiden and I were still young enough (late 30's, early 40's) that our sex life was still amazing, we still liked to travel and do fun things and we were all still working.
Our children had been accepted to the University of Washington, my alma mater, and while I would never voice this to them, I was secretly glad they weren't going out of state to school. We'd had a long talk with them and agreed to let them live on campus but we stipulated that they had to maintain their grades and if they didn't they would be living back at home; although they were both so darn smart I wasn't worried about their grades in the least.
We pulled up at the auditorium along with all the other family members of the children graduating and slowly made our way into the building.
"Okay you two" I said, trying not to cry. "We'll meet you both back here afterwards and then we are all going to dinner, okay?" Andy and Andrea knew how hard I was working to keep it together.
"We love you mom!" they said in unison as they kissed my cheeks; both dads got hugs and I watched them walk off, leaving their childhoods behind and turn into young adults.
"You okay, baby?" Aiden asked. I wiped a tear from under my eye before answering him.
"I am. You?" I asked. He shrugged.
"I'm not sure yet. I will let you know" he said winking. He was tender hearted like me so he would show his emotions more than Adrian but don't let Adrian fool you, he was dealing with this just like we were.
"How you doing, Mr. Silvano?" I asked him playfully. I got that wolfish grin I'd come to love for years now.
"I'm okay, Mrs. Silvano. I just can't believe how fast the time went, you know?" his voice sounding nostalgic.
We found our way to some seats pretty close to the front and that's when I heard a familiar voice call out.
"Hey sis!" It was Brett! They'd made it! Chloe was giving a lecture at a symposium in Chicago but cut it short by one day telling the directors she couldn't miss her niece and nephew's graduation.
"Brett!" I said hugging him hard and then grabbing Chloe. "Thank you for shortening your trip" I told her genuinely.
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world, plus I missed Brett and the kids" she said smiling. A year after the twins and I got married, Brett and Chloe tied the knot. They had tried for three years to get pregnant when they decided to go the invitro route which left them with eight year old twin boys; Jace and Jaxson. Chloe said they were with her parents and her and Brett were getting a much needed break.
As Pomp and Circumstance started to play I watched anxiously to get a glimpse of our children and finally we saw them; Andrea first and then Andy. They looked wonderful as they walked by smiling at us; we filled up a whole row with family and friends.
Ana, who never did get married but was happy remaining single, Monique and Stellan who did finally get married two years ago and Stella who was finally dating someone that she met from Silvano and Sons.
Everything had come full circle for me, for us. As I listened to the Valedictorian give his speech I reminisced back through my life, before Christian, during Christian and after Christian; happy didn't come close to what I was. Finally we had reached the S's and I moved to the edge of my seat as I saw Andrea was next in line.
"Andrea N'Cole Silvano" the presenter said. We whooped and clapped and yelled; she looked at us with a bright smile and waved her diploma.
"Andrew David Silvano" we clapped and cheered as he held up his diploma and yelled "I did it, you guys!" We laughed at his silliness. We'd made it and they were ready to steer their own lives and pursue their dreams and do what made them happy. I thought back to them as being that final piece that had healed my broken soul.
THE END