Brandon nudged her arm and smiled down at her as they waited for the candle procession to begin.
“Hermosa, I’m so proud of you.”
She nudged him back. “I’m proud of you, too. You mustered through some of those last few weeks without using me as your study guide.”
“Ha! I do what I must.” They held out their candles for the instructors to light. “As we all do. I’m just glad there’s a smile on your face again.”
“Yeah, so am I.”
Rori followed Brandon down the aisle, spotting Cael and Cassy on the end of their row. Cassy waved, bouncing in her seat. Cael gestured to his belly, which made Rori blush. She found it awkward at times, discussing Thaddeus’s baby with his brother, who loved her best friend, especially when Cael treated it like his own child. But that aside, she knew Cael was excited that his brother wasn’t completely lost. That his legacy would live on.
The ceremony progressed, with speeches and accolades, awards and well wishes to their class on their new journey. A pang hit her heart during one of the speeches, tugging the muscle and threatening tears. Brandon squeezed her leg reassuringly, giving her the small sliver of strength she needed to sniff back the tears and lift her chin.
Receiving her pin filled her with pride and the promise of a bright future. She shared in Brandon’s excitement as they returned to their seats and awaited the closing speeches.
“Oh mygeeeed!!” Cassy shrieked, barreling into her and wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Rori laughed as her friend bounced on her feet, then leaned back. “I’m so proud of you! In a matter a weeks, you’ll have R.N. after your name, making change in the world and doing all the good things to help people.”
“I think you’re more excited than I am,” Rori teased, smoothing the creases in her scrub top left by Cassy. “You’ll be dealing with me stressing over the exam next.”
“Hey, I don’t thinkanythingcould touch what we’ve been through over these last couple months. An exam.” Cassy waved her hand nonchalantly. “Easy peasy!”
“Take it easy on her, love.” Cael gently pried Cassy’s hand from Rori’s shoulder and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Way to take the stage like a queen, sis.”
She hitched a thumb toward Brandon. “He owned it like a king.”
They shared in laughter. A familiar laughter they’d shared so many times before. The four of them, through thick and thin, in the best times and the worst.
After several pictures, and once the crowd had filtered out of the auditorium, Rori and Brandon separated from Cassy and Cael to gather up their belongings left in one of the anterooms.
“I’ll meet you outside with the others. I’m sure we’ll be deciding on someplace to eat.” Brandon patted his stomach. “I’m famished and you need nourishment, Mama.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
One of her classmates was in the room when she arrived, collecting the mess of bobby pins and hair products she had brought for everyone.
“You need a hand?” Rori asked.
“It’s just about done, but thanks.”
Rori retreated to the back of the room where she had left her belongings, unfastening her hat on her way. She neatly wrapped it in the tissue paper she used to protect it and tucked it carefully in her duffle bag.
“Bye, Rori.”
Rori waved to her classmate as she left, then tucked her hangers and hairspray away.
“Do tell, did my ears deceive me?”
The makeup case slid from her fingers and clattered over the floor as she froze. She didn’t move, didn’t want to look, didn’t want to have her mind play tricks on her.
A flood of golden heat burst to life in her chest, lighting along the cold, dead bond. She gasped, her hand pressing over her heart, the overwhelming flood of warmth and fullness stifling her breaths.
She snapped her head up.
Questioned whether she was seeing things.
Across the room, the most magnificent sight she could ever behold. Leaning up against the wall with his arms and ankles crossed like an arrogant man, dressed in pristine black pants and a button-down shirt, his presence consumed the room. White-gold hair set in rows of braids over the top of his head and gathered half up at the back of his crown with a simple gold adornment. Clear blue eyes flecked with goldwatched her with too many emotions for her to begin to unravel.
“Thaddeus?”
