Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 59489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
But Kristen knew better. She knew that this moment would mean so much to me, and she was right. When my name was announced and I walked across that stage, it was cathartic for that part of me that had always wondered what if? I knew I could do it. Now I had just proved it. Now it was just a matter of pursuing what I wanted even more, accomplishing what I wanted to do rather than what I felt compelled to do.
I will never forget that moment, standing on stage, looking out at the small collection of friends and family gathered at the community college. All my friends were there, waiting in white, wooden seats to cheer for me, surrounding my bride and truly acting like one unit, one family. Sometimes it wasn’t about the family you shared blood with, but the ones you shared life with that was more important. Carmela was both, and as she sat next to Kristen, holding her hand and both of them cheered for me, I knew I had the best of all worlds.
When Kristen ran her fingers over her slightly rounded belly, I knew it was only going to get better. Our baby was growing there. We didn’t know what it was yet, only that it was healthy and strong. Both of us chose to wait until they were born to find out whether it was going to be little baby Jonathan or little baby Dolly. Either way was fine with me.
After walking the stage, I went to sit with my blood and chosen family and celebrate there for a bit before heading back to Ryan and Allison’s for a party. The place was empty for the weekend, and we were going to have a little celebration there for me today. As usual, my friends had come together to show their love and support in a way that was overwhelming and kind.
Mark clapped my shoulder from the seat behind me as we listened to the final words of the dean, and then when he was done, I stood to collect hugs from everyone.
“All right, Mark, you go get the drinks. Vic, you have the food ready, right?” Ryan asked.
“On it,” Mark said.
“Food’s all prepared, waiting in the kitchen of the store,” Victor said. “I can go grab it and meet you guys at the house in about an hour.”
“Sounds good,” Ryan said. “Graham? Where’s Graham?”
“He had to take Leo to the bathroom,” Mallory said. “Too much apple juice.”
“Ahh,” Ryan said. “But you guys have all the utensils and other assorted stuff?”
“Already in the trunk,” she said. “We came prepared.”
“Fantastic,” Ryan said, settling his eyes on mine. “Now you. You two. Go do something for an hour, then meet us at the house.”
“Anything?” I asked, receiving a playful slap on the arm from Kristen.
“I think you already took care of that, bud,” Mark said, laughing.
“We are going to go shopping,” Kristen said. “Your baby still needs a few things to set up the nursery in the office as well as the one in the house.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “Might be a bit more than an hour then.”
Ryan laughed.
“Fair enough. You get there when you get there. We will have everything ready. Proud of you, brother,” he said.
Hugs from the round of friends, including a returning and then exiting Graham, were followed by Kristen taking my hand and leading me to our truck. I helped her inside and then got in myself, looking behind me at the space behind the front seat.
“Hmm,” I said. “I think I might need a bigger truck.”
Kristen laughed.
“Are you going to use your baby as an excuse to go buy a new vehicle?” she teased.
“I am going to use the reality that this truck is absolutely not fit for any child of mine to sit in the back of for at least twelve years,” I said. “New truck it is.”
“Well then,” she said, “why don’t we just head up to the dealership now? We still have a couple of months before the baby comes. Nursery shopping can wait.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, a grin breaking wide across my face.
She nodded, smiling.
“It’s your celebration day,” she said. “Why not cap it off with something big?”
As we drove into the parking lot of the bed and breakfast in my new truck, having left the old one at the dealership to be picked up later, the boys came out to admire it, and we joked and laughed there before we got inside. Victor handed me a beer, and we all clinked glasses together as Kristen joined the ladies inside.
“Hell of a thing,” Ryan said.
“What is?” I asked.
“Well, when I came back to town, we were all scattered to the wind. All except you. You stayed here and made something of yourself in Murdock. You helped me settle again, and then I was the first of the dominos to fall.”