Graduation day came way too quickly. The day was a blur for Jennie, but she knew her mind was not trying to deceive her when at the tail of the large crowd, as she stood on the stage after receiving her diploma, she saw Riley's car. The day was a blur and she barely remembered the things said and done on same day, but she remembered seeing Riley clearly.
Or maybe her head did try to deceive her. Maybe it played tricks on her. Made her see things, or rather, someone who wasn't there. Because for a few seconds she could see Riley standing next to her car. She wore a black fitted suit with black dress shoes and a light blue brim hat. And although the older woman wore black shades, she knew they shared a stare for atleast five seconds. Her heart had warmed up and she froze on stage, a teacher trying to bring her back to reality. When she blinked and turned to receive the diploma and shake hands with her old teachers, the older woman was gone. So she thought that maybe she imagined her presence. Maybe she just really wanted her to be there so much that her brain created this illusion so she wouldn't feel the void too much. So she shook her head and composed herself, refusing to think about it any further lest she became crazy.
But when after stepping off the stage someone brought her a small gift with a note, she knew she hadn't imagined it. She knew she really saw her. She really was there. She really did come to see her. At that moment, it didn't matter if they were no longer in speaking terms or if Riley had moved on. It didn't matter if she was accused of murder and that the rumour was currently hot news on the internet. Riley came to see her graduate. That's all that mattered to her.
So this time she didn't wait to open the gift. Mia had walked to her out of concern and curiosity while their parents chatted about the two girls. She didn't speak, because she already guessed who the gift was from. Jennie allowed her friend to read the letter with her. It's not like she noticed at first. The only thing she saw was the distant image of Riley that she saw earlier on. Hands buried deep in her pockets like she usually did when she was calm. She looked good. She always looked. She always smelled good too. And on some days, when Jennie closed her eyes and really put her mind into sniffing the air, she could still smell Riley's cologne and it intoxicated her.
The note was simple. Just a "Congratulations Nini. Good luck on whatever you choose to do in the near future. And please don't thank me, I might just start feeling bad." It didn't say who sent it, but Jennie knew just by the nickname that it was Riley. The nickname she thought Riley would never use on her again. She knew the last part was a joke, and she couldn't help but chuckle softly when she read it.
She ripped apart the cover of the gift to find a box. There was something written on its lid as well.
"So you never lose sight of time."
She didn't know if the little message made her feel joy or sadness. She wasted a lot of time in the past. Time she could've used in showing Riley how she felt. How she loved and cared about her. But on the other side of things, she was still young and her life was just starting. So maybe instead of thinking about regrets, she could think about the new possibilities that await her. New people to meet. New activities to do. New memories to make.
Without wasting anymore time, she opened the box. She already had an idea of what the gift is, but nothing could've prepared her for what she saw. A custom-made ladies watch. She picked it up and out of it's cover to better examine it, and she didn't miss the small gasp that left the mouth of her friend.
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