Aftercare

Chapter 44- War Is Over

~2 YEARS LATER-

NORA RODRIGUEZ
"And before I finally declare you graduated, I want to invite our very own valedictorian of this year, Nora Rodriguez, to the stage!" Our headmaster says turning back to me, inviting me up.

Instant claps rise from the wide crown surrounded in our campus for our graduation ceremony. I smile as I get up from my seat, and head towards the microphone. It had been exactly two years and a month since my dad went into a come, and so much has happened since then. Starting with, he still hasn't woken up, and my mom refuses to let them put him down.

I still visit him every week, talk with him even if he can't hear me. It's kind of therapeutic in some way. Jace left the US as soon as he graduated, and went to travel the world outside. He surprised us yesterday evening by coming home to attend my graduation, and that meant so much to me. I spot him in crowd sitting at the very front smiling at me and raising his thumbs at me. I smile back.

Next to him was sitting Jake, and he was holding his and Eva's precious daughter. When Eva was pregnant, she had stressed so much about what would happen with school, and if Jake would support her decision of keeping the baby, but turns out she was wrong.

Damn me if I've ever seen a better dad than Jake. He was supportive to her in every way possible, beat up any guy (and girl if it wasn't for Eva) who said something about her pregnancy. Me and Mia deald with the girls. And as soon as he had found out it was a girl, the way he started crying and jumping made me sure that this baby girl was going to be a daddy's girl.

Eva put her name Norabella, and her middle name Mia, which made me and Mia break down the second we found out. I swore on my life that i would be the best aunt ever and that I would protect her no matter what. I chuckle softly as she looks up at me with her mother's beautiful eyes smiling.

I look at my mom and Lily, as she sends me a kiss in the air. I pretend to catch it as she laughs. Gosh they grow up so quickly don't they. I take a deep breath in one last time, as my eyes travel to the person I have to thank for being here today. His smile shines brighter than the sun we were under right now, and he mimicks the words 'I love you' as I say ur back.

"Goodmorning, to everyone here right now. I'd like to start by saying how proud i am that we finally graduated. Even through hard times, we all found a way to be here today and I appreciate that so much. Even though I wasn't planning on being valedictorian, I'd like to say how grateful i am to be one. 2 years ago, I would've never imagined I'd graduate, let alone be valedictorian, so that was definitely a surprise" I start.

"Having been gone through a very hard time with my life, there's a few things I'd like to share with my fellow colleagues and teachers, before we say goodbye for the final time. Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want. Don't wait until someone else comes and build it for you. Even if your going the through the shittiest part of your life-excuse my language- the pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow" I continue.

"You don't have to have to be perfect. Your not a superhero, or an inhuman being. You don't have to have all straight A's, and be friends with half the school, you don't have to smoke or drink to be considered 'cool'. Because all those things mean nothing. Trust me. A very wise person that has a very important place in my heart once told me, that 'sometimes it's ok if the only thing you did today was breathe' and he couldn't be more right." I looked directly at Miles while saying this, and I could see even from here how vulnerable this was making him.

"Just remember this every time you feel like tour about to loose your mind; One day, you will tell your story of how you overcame what you've been through, and it will be someone else's survival guide" I say as I look at my mother and smiles at me. "Oh and one more thing; We fucking graduated, people!" I yell as screams rise from behind me and I front if me.