Page 62 of Teach Me
“Then promise me, too, that you’ll celebrate with me later. Even if it’s over this damn phone.”
“I promise.” It was one of the easiest promises I’d ever made in my life.
“Did you hear anything back from your parents?”
“Eh. Yeah.” I pushed a hand through my hair and shrugged. “They’re not coming. Told me they loved me and were proud but that they couldn’t make it.” Grady pressed his lips together firmly, which I knew meant he was holding back from saying something, when I continued. “I’m fine with that. It’s easier anyway, to be honest. I’ll be more relaxed.”
His gaze moved over my face, as if looking for proof otherwise, but it was the truth. My parents had their viewpoints, and I had mine. Maybe someday, they’d converge, and we’d get along better. Maybe someday, enough time would have passed that they could trust and respect what I was becoming instead of what I had been. I wasn’t holding my breath, though. I also wasn’t holding on to anger either. I’d let it go and accepted the situation—one of the first tenets of recovery and the one I kept close because it had guided me through a lot of dark days and lonesome times. I had a shit ton to be grateful for, and I never let myself forget that. Though, sometimes after a double shift at the cafe, it took a little more effort.
Besides, I had my friends supporting me, too. Mark, Sam, and Jesse had remained in the house with me over the summer. Mark still had another semester at the U since he’d changed his major and had taken classes over the summer like me, while Chet was in DC interning with some bigwig judge. Sam and Jesseplanned to stay in Silver Ridge for the long haul and had found a new apartment earlier in the summer, but it wouldn’t be ready to move into until the first of September.
“Alright. You make good points,” Grady said finally, holding my gaze. Then he smiled, and the flash of warmth drove away the last of my lethargy. I felt his presence like he was right there beside me. “I love you, Cameron. Now, get up and get moving. Can’t be late to your own graduation.”
“I’ve got hours.” I chuckled and then said, more solemnly, “I miss you. I’ll wave at you when I get onstage.”
No sooner had I hung up than a cacophonous roar erupted from the hallway outside my room. “Cam! Wake up! It’s graduation day!” Sam’s voice boomed, accompanied by the sound of feet pounding the stairs, and then my bedroom door flung wide. “Jesse’s making you a special breakfast. Also, good morning.”
I cracked up. “Dude, how much caffeine have you had this morning?”
“It’s my pre-workout.” Sam flashed me a wild grin and made a show of flexing one of his huge biceps. “C’mon, or I’ll fireman carry you downstairs. Jesse gave me strict instructions not to come back without you.”
“Alright, alright,” I groused with affection. “I’m up.”
I swung my legs out of bed, catching sight of my cap and gown, hanging in front of my closet and ready to be worn to the ceremony later. Seeing them stirred up all kinds of emotions in me, but mostly pride that I’d made it. That I’d set out to do something, and I’d fucking done it, regardless of the obstacles I’d encountered along the way.
I followed Sam down the stairs toward the kitchen, still wiping sleep from my eyes, and then froze in the doorway.
Standing in the kitchen were my roommates and best friends. All of them. Nate and Eric, Sam and Jesse, Chet andMark. Even Ansel, who had left right after graduating on some cross-country running tour and who I honestly wasn’t sure I’d ever see again.
“What…?” I trailed off as they shouted in unison.
“Happy graduation day!”
“But…” My brain still hadn’t caught up as they swarmed me all at once, giving me hugs and clapping me on the back.
And then, goddammit, I started crying.
Mark folded me into a hug and held me the longest, his voice coming low in my ear. “I knew you’d get here, and I’m so fucking proud of you. We all are.”
“Thank you,” I whispered and then got ahold of myself and said it again louder. “This means a whole fucking lot. I can’t—” I shook my head. “Thank you.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world, man.” Nate beamed. “Are you surprised?”
“Fuck yeah, I’m…I totally wasn’t expecting this. Jesus.”
“We’d better eat these damn frittatas before I oversalt them with my tears,” Jesse cut in. I thought he was joking until I looked over and found his eyes red-rimmed.
I pressed my hands to his cheeks and gave him a sloppy kiss on the forehead. “Thank you for frittatas.” His breakfast version had always been my favorite.
“Yeah, yeah.” He shooed me away with a grin, and Chet handed me a plate. Chaos erupted again as we dived in and ate, our laughter and conversation filling the small kitchen for what I imagined was the last time.
And then I went and graduated. Finally.
Afterward, my boss at the cafe sprang for lunch for all of us, even roped off a section of the cafe and, before I left, pulled me aside and gave me an envelope he said he and the staff had pooled together. When I saw the amount of cash inside, I brimmed up all over again.
Late afternoon, with twilight on the horizon, the eight of us gathered in the living room of the house like old times, crowding in on the couches and floor.
“So what’s next, Cambo?” Eric asked.