Life, Love & A Little Coffee

Chapter Fifty-Three: Maybes

There had been a tribute to Britt during the ceremony. Photos played on a projector behind the stage, with music playing as Principal Harris read the article she'd written aloud.

It was morbid, Ada thought. It felt like she was attending her best friend's wake. But Britt wasn't dead. He wished her a swift recovery, as if there were such a thing with something like this. Maybe there were no right words that could be spoken. Maybe everything anyone said would feel wrong somehow. Maybe her frustration was just a mask for her heartbreak.

Maybe.

Maybe.

They wished Tom a farewell and good luck on future endeavors, and she could see it disappointed Principal Harris at having to give them. Now that she knew of the entirety of their relationship, she saw how he looked at Tom as his own student, as his colleague and as a second son.

When it was her turn to accept her diploma, her family's embarrassing spectacle wasn't in the least bit surprising. But the cheers subsided when the principal stopped her from walking away so he could also hand her Britt's diploma.

As she looked back at it, that was the hardest part. It took every ounce of strength within her not to break. But she didn't. Maybe picturing Britt in her bad-ass, take no prisoner cowboy boots gave her the strength to only allow a single tear to fall.

Maybe.

Maybe.

The ceremony and photos after went by in a blur. Something told her that when she thought back to this day five or ten years from now, she wouldn't remember a damn thing about graduation. She'd remember the sorrow and pleasure that came before it. She'd likely remember the party that came after it. But it wasn't likely she'd remember what the valedictorian said, what the school band played or walking across the stage. Maybe her family's cheer and Tom's smile as she accepted the rolled-up piece of diploma.

Maybe.

She wanted to go to his place afterwards rather than the party. She wanted to lie in his arms until nightfall, fall asleep on his chest and wake up by his side. But the party was important to her parents and everything was all set up. So she let Tom go back to his place all alone to change and went home to get ready.

"This is a good day," her sister spoke as she applied Ada's makeup, "you should be smiling."

Ada loathed when people said that. She'd heard customers tell her to smile on her most exhausting days and had to fight not to pour their coffee down their shirt.

Music played outside. The party didn't start for a little while yet, but she'd already heard several cars pull up and the upstairs sounded busy with activity.

"You wish Britt was here helping you get ready, don't you?" her sister asked, though by her tone it wasn't a question.

Britt had helped do her makeup for every party and every event. Even during the time they weren't all that close and just going through the motions of friendship, she would still come over. Ada had never gotten the hang of it, and her mother rarely wore makeup. Britt had it down to a science, as did her sister. As Ada looked at her reflection, the makeup was flawless and unlike what Britt would have chosen, very much understated and natural.

"I just wish she were here at all, Stevie. But I promise, I love having you here too. And you did an awesome job."

Ada saw Stevie's reflection in the mirror smile back at her. "Damn right I did an awesome job, not that you weren't gorgeous before."

"I was pretty before," Ada corrected. It's not that she couldn't take a compliment, but today marked the day where she was no longer a student. Now that she could leave that title behind, Ada wanted to feel more like a woman. "Today I want to be breathtaking, if you think you can pull it off."