Chapter 29
Molly – Three Weeks Later
I bite down hard on my bottom lip as I rub my twenty-three week bump, my boy kicking my hand, grounding me. The nerves shooting through me settle but even as my classmates chatter excitedly about their futures, amid their excitement, I struggle to steady myself, worry still clouding me.
My eyes go to the twins—who, yes, I helped this year at Shaun's pleading— messing around three rows ahead gaining my attention, and I smile slightly.
Shaun said that apparently their mama absolutely loves me, that I’m the reason why they are sitting here today, messing around, laughing, and joking, but really, once they applied themselves, they didn’t really need my help.
They were smarter than they wanted everyone to know, which I’m guessing is because their sister never did return and they may have rebelled a little, though apparently they are about to be prospects for the club, which is amazing.
I look around all my peers, everyone excited for their next steps in life, while I, I’m petrified if I’m being honest, but that shouldn’t really be a surprise.
Everything is completely different from how it would be if I hadn’t met Luca.
I'm about to go to culinary school in a few weeks, finally beginning my lifelong dream, and today, I'm graduating with honors and marrying the man I love—all things I never expected.
Yet, as these accomplishments stack up, a sense of disbelief and anxiety lingers. It almost feels too good to be true.
I guess I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop, which is mad considering all of my demons, my problems are gone.
Rylan – who I thought was a friend – Gabby, AJ, Abby, Ruth.
Everything is finally falling into place, and I can now see my future, Luca and our kids in the home I grew up in. But it hasn’t stopped my fear, it didn’t stop me from hesitating about redecorating my family home so we could move in.
A buzzing sound echoes, and everyone silences as all eyes go to the stage, and I take a deep breath, ready to try and settle my nerves, to get myself excited about this next step, and to push the fear that I’m about to lose it all away.
Luca will never let me fall, it’s something I need to remember because like he said, we’re both broken, but we’re healing each other – he’s my pillar.
“Family, friends, and loved ones,” Dean Ross says into the mic, gaining my attention.
“This is a bittersweet moment for me. While I am so proud of these students and all their hard work to get here, I now must say goodbye and let them continue their journeys. Whether that’s as a social worker, doctor, hair stylist, or whatever their dream may be, their journey starts now.
It’s going to be an epic adventure, and everyone here has had the pleasure of knowing them.
” He looks around the crowd. “Now, this part never gets easy, but please let me announce your graduates. Help me congratulate each student as I call their name.” He looks at us with pride and rasps, “I would like all my graduates to please stand…”
Okay, here we go, little one.
The crowd cheers, and slowly I cup my bump and stand with my peers, waiting for our names to be called.
Since we’re in alphabetical order, I’m near the back, meaning it’ll take longer to reach Luca, though roughly sixteen students are not graduating today because they failed their retests we were all forced to take so I guess it won’t take as long to get to Luca.
The twins are called, racing each other to the stage, tripping and making everyone laugh—including Dean Ross, who shakes his head, amused and I can’t help the grin that takes place before I finally make it near the front of the line after the twins’ spectacle, and my heart pounds, my palms sweating and my smile slowly fades.
A person is missing from the crowd, a person who made a wrong decision, and I suffered the consequences.
Learning what happened to my father, the steps he took that led to how my life is now, I resent him for not shielding me properly regarding Ruth and Abby and their vindictiveness, but I also thank him, because his actions got me to Luca, and that alone is just a head fuck because Ruth was a bitch and Dad is dead.
The student before me goes up the steps as his name is called, and I take a deep breath as I look up at the sky, wishing my dad were here, wishing he hadn’t made the choices he did, because then maybe he would still be alive but peace still slowly washes over me.
I feel as if now that I’m graduating from this chapter of my life, maybe I can finally breathe. The hold Ruth had on me, even after her death, seems to lift, replaced with hope for myself, my child, and Luca. Still, fear lingers—letting go isn't easy, even when the future looks bright.
What if I mess up?
What if I fail culinary school or the foundation I want to start for underprivileged kids? I keep thinking that I can’t seem to celebrate the fact that I’m finally getting my degree, or that I can’t be proud that I stuck to it despite having the urge to always be in the kitchen.
Damn, Ruth and Abby and their stupid ass negativity and bullying.
“Please welcome our next student, graduating with honors and who I do believe will be getting married after this ceremony, Molly Wright!” Dean Ross introduces, and I swear my cheeks heat as the crowd goes wild, and by crowd, I mean my little crowd, my support system.
I smile bashfully, my fear slowly seeping away as I climb the steps and walk across the stage towards the dean, who grins widely, laughter lines appearing at the corners of his eyes.
I shake his hand as I grab my diploma, and he says, “Well done, Molly, your father would be very proud of you.”
My eyes tear, and I choke, “Thank you, Dean Ross,” and he nods before gently hugging me, and then he pulls back and nods with pride.
Grinning, I walk across the stage toward the steps and I lock eyes with a beaming Luca as he cheers and claps with Dirty—who shouts, “That’s my future sister-in-law!”
Caleb and Lyra stand on their seats, cheering too, along with Holly and Doc and my heart tightens, filled with love.
When I met Luca, I thought he was the biggest prick in the world, hot, yes, but still a prick, but slowly he became my universe, my center.
He became my life and he also gave me a family I have always wanted.
Grinning wide as I lock eyes with Luca again, I move my tassel from one side to the other, and he takes a picture before I move and descend the steps.
The twins high-five me as I walk past before I take my seat again, and wait for the other students to walk the stage, all while feeling Luca’s eyes on my back, his protectiveness and those questions before I hit the stage slowly quieten.
Damn, I’m one lucky woman.
***
“Parents, loved ones, and friends, please give it for your graduates!” the dean shouts ten minutes later as the last student takes their seat and I join in the cheering as I stand, and throw my cap into the air as Luca and his family—now my family—cheer for me, the fear from before vanishing, replaced by warmth and belonging.
I don’t wait for my cap to fall, instead, I quickly rush past my peers and towards the crowd, only one person I want to see right now, to celebrate with.
I giggle as Luca meets me halfway and gently lifts me up by my armpits and swings me around, and I swear my smile is so wide, it’ll get stuck like this.
“I’m so fucking proud of you, Pidge,” he rasps as he lets me down before cupping my cheek, and a few tears fall.
“I don’t think I could have done it without you, Luca,” I admit, but he shakes his head.
“Yes, you could have because you are so fucking strong and I’m one lucky bastard to call you mine,” he says before he presses his lips against mine as he grips my cheek tighter and cups my bump with his other hand.
I pull back from him after a few seconds when I feel little hands wrap around my legs, and I grin as Caleb cheers, “Well done, Auntie Molly!” and Lyra adds, “I knew you could do it!”
Damn these kids, they steal your heart and wrap you around their fingers.
Doc walks over and presses a kiss to my cheek before Dirty follows, and Holly wraps her arm around me, and calmness centers me.
Home, home, home…
I never thought I’d have this feeling, not after losing my dad, yet here we are, I’m surrounded by people who came here to celebrate me, to make me a part of their family.
“You ready to start Culinary school, Molly?” Dirty asks, and my grin widens because yes, yes, I am.
I’m beginning to see that with Luca by my side, I can do anything, even overcome my fears.
“More than ready,” I admit, and he grins and says, “Good, because in the kitchen is where you belong and no that wasn’t a dig because you are a woman so please don’t put hot sauce in my coffee.”
I laugh as I lock eyes with Luca just as his phone rings, and he sighs.
“You ready to tell them?” I ask softly, and he nods as he cancels the call.
He mutters, “Yeah, Pidge, I think it’s time everyone knows what I felt and what I did, and I think it’s time they finally meet you as my wife.”
“We’re not married yet, mister,” I remind him as I lay my left hand over his heart, my solitaire diamond ring sparkling in the sun, a ring I woke up to wearing one morning because of course this alpha man declared the proposal was real, while my hand burns knowing what is underneath it.
My name, tattooed over his heart, something Trigger did without anyone finding out.
“Well then, we'd better get to the courthouse, huh, Pidge,” he replies with a sly smirk, and I grin wide as the others chuckle, but they soon laugh when I say, “I love you, prick.”
“I love you too, Pidge, let's go, I need to make you mine in the eyes of the law before I make you mine in the eyes of the club.”
He doesn’t need to tell me twice.