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JIMMY

I allowed my thoughts to wander as the speaker droned on and on about the bright future of the graduates sitting in neat rows on the arena floor. TJ was down there, about two-thirds of the way back on the left side, clad in a red cap and gown, tassel dangling off the right side of his mortarboard.

The last six months had been eventful. Sammy and Will got married the day after Thanksgiving as planned. Jason and Zach followed suit on New Year’s Eve. Jason officiated Sammy and Will’s ceremony, while Drea officiated Jason and Zach’s. Both events were small affairs, with just friends and family in attendance, and both events had taken place in the snow.

TJ finished his long-term sub assignment at the end of the first semester, then returned the following semester to student teach with Annette, who had, in fact, announced she was not returning in the fall. TJ had been hired as her replacement and was looking forward to officially beginning his new career in August. I was just excited to get to work with him every day.

TJ moved into the little blue house with me over spring break six weeks ago. It had been inevitable, I supposed, with the way he slept over almost every night. As with most new things, I’d been nervous, but as usual, it had ended up not being nearly as big a deal as I’d made it out to be in my head. TJ had slotted into my life seamlessly, just as he’d done in every other aspect, making me wish we’d done it sooner.

And now, here we were at his graduation, marking another milestone. His entire family was seated to my left. Ma, Trent, Tyler and his little family. All except Gram, whose mobility was slowly deteriorating, making it difficult to navigate large events like this. Aunt Lydia had stayed home with her to help her figure out how to navigate watching via livestream. What TJ didn’t know was that they would be heading to our house after the ceremony to help prepare for the surprise party I’d planned.

On my right sat Sammy and Will. Ever since TJ showed up at Sammy’s shop last fall, they’d treated him like he was one of the family. I often joked they liked him better than they liked me.

TJ looked up, his eyes searching the crowd, lighting up when he found me. He smiled brighter than the sun and gave me a little wave before returning his attention to the speaker.

And then it was time. The band kicked up the strains of Pomp and Circumstance, and the graduate candidates stood and began making their way two by two up the aisle to cross the stage. When it was TJ’s turn, he held up his diploma and waved like a little kid while his entire family made a ruckus. My cheeks flamed at the commotion next to me, drawing the eyes of other families around us, but I couldn’t help but smile at their enthusiasm. The Sullivan family loved big. There was no getting around it.

* * *

TJ

Even from across the arena, I could see the flush coloring Jimmy’s cheeks while my family did their best impression of a gaggle of teenagers at a Taylor Swift concert. He was smiling, though, so I knew he was okay. No matter how much confidence my sunshine had gained over the past six months, he still couldn’t stop a blush. It was one of my favorite things about him.

I crossed the stage, waving at my family and pumping my hands in the air before returning to my seat. As the rest of the graduates processed up to the stage to accept their diplomas, I thought about just how much my life had changed over the course of the year.

This time last year, I’d just learned I was nominated for a Tony Award. It should have been one of the happiest days of my life, and while I’d certainly been thrilled and honored, it had felt hollow.

I looked down now, brushing a finger across the sun tattoo peeking out of the edge of my sleeve. I’d had it done a week after my nomination when I’d realized that none of it really mattered without Jimmy. I hadn’t yet fully formed my plan to return to Astaire, but it had been brewing, and I thought the tattoo represented my commitment to return to the things that mattered most.

Family. Home. Love. Jimmy.

Now, a year later, I didn’t regret the decision one bit. In the last eight months, I’d had the pleasure of watching Jimmy bloom. He’d developed a quiet confidence that was so damn sexy. He was never going to be the loudest guy in the room—which was fine because I definitely could be that guy—but he wasn’t afraid to ask for what he needed, push back when his boundaries had been crossed, and wear a little eyeliner once in a while.

And I’d discovered my second passion: teaching. I’d always enjoyed teaching dance and the work I’d done with students during my college practicums, but this year, I’d gotten to embrace the full experience.

I’d tackled the challenges of dealing with difficult parents, middle-school behaviors, and late nights writing lesson plans. But I’d also watched more than one shy student come alive on stage, coached a couple of teams to place well in their one acts, and collapsed in laughter at students’ antics more times than I could count.

The highlight of the year had been the spring musical when I’d gotten to be on the directing side of things. Annette had technically been my supervisor since I was still student teaching, but with a new baby at home and the benefit of my professional experience, she was happy to let me take the lead. I’d discovered there was nothing so rewarding as watching students come into their own. Whether on stage or behind the scenes, the growth my students achieved was a better gift than almost anything I could have imagined.

And the best part was that I got to share it all with Jimmy. He’d listened with interest every time I’d come to him, excited to tell him about something that had happened in class that day. And he’d advised me when dealing with difficult students or parents or when I’d been flat-out exhausted to the point it felt like I couldn’t possibly teach another day.

My attention was called back to the stage as the university president directed us to stand and move our tassels from the right to the left. The crowd burst into applause as grads tossed their caps in the air, but I only had eyes for Jimmy as I cut through the crowd to get to where he and my family were waiting.

I was hugged, congratulated, and squeezed, and then Jimmy pulled me into his arms for a kiss right there in front of everyone.

“I’m so proud of you,” he said when he pulled away.

“I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Of course you could have.”

“Okay. But I’m glad I didn’t have to.”

* * *

The End