Page 50 of Echoes of Us

As I finish, I slowly turn to face her. There are tears running down her face, but she is beaming at me. “You really are as beautiful as you play.” She takes my hand into hers and continues, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know I want to be with you. I don’t care what other people, or my family say. I think I love you, Teagan Parker. I really hope you love me, too.”

I stare at her in awe. She has no idea how much I love her. The things I said to her mom have haunted me every moment since. The idea she could possibly think I used her for a game made me physically ill every day since. I cup her face in my hands, pulling her closer.

“There’s no need to hope, princess,” I say with a smile. I kiss her before she replies, letting her feel everything I want to say.

Emmaline Briggs, of course, I love you.

Epilogue

Emmaline

Waking up to the smell of coffee is the best part of my morning. I slowly open my eyes and squint as the early morning sunlight filters through the blinds, casting a warm glow on the room. I stretch, feeling the stiffness in my muscles, and glance at the clock on the nightstand: 8:52 a.m. I need to meet my parents soon for breakfast, but all I want to do is sink back into the comfort of my bed. I roll over, pulling the covers tighter around me, but the rich aroma of coffee is too enticing. With a groan, I force myself to sit up, rubbing my eyes and yawning. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and plant my feet on the floor, willing myself to stand.

Finally, I make it to the kitchen, where the coffee pot sits, full of beautiful black coffee. I grab a mug from the cabinet and pour myself a cup. Before I take a sip, arms wrap around my waist, lips kissing my neck. “Good morning, beautiful,” Teagan says into my ear. “We have to meet your parents in like, forty-five minutes.”

I roll my eyes and turn to face her. “I know, I know. Let me drink one cup and I’ll get ready super-fast, I promise.” She looks at me doubtfully.

“You have never been able to get ready ‘super-fast’ in your life, princess,” she says teasingly. She leans in, kissing my cheek before walking toward the bathroom.

Today, we both graduate from college. I am a bit scared about what is next. Teagan has been applying to medical schools all over the country. Of course, the plan was always for me to go with her. I would get a job in marketing wherever she is accepted. Lately, she has been acting so standoffish and secretive. I brought it up last night, but she waved me off, telling me I was overthinking things. She said she is just stressed about the applications, and I shouldn’t worry about it. She kept saying we’d figure out jobs and living situations later. My heart always sinks when she refers to it as ‘living situations’, like I’m a situation to figure out. I shake my head, pushing back the thought. Today is my college graduation. I am not going to let anything ruin it.

After breakfast with my family and Teagan, we drive together to the basketball arena where graduation is being held. Teagan’s School of Sciences goes before mine with the Business School. My family and I find a seat to watch Teagan’s graduation. I lean over to ask my mom a question, but she waves me off. What the hell? Why she is acting so strange toward me today, too? “Pssst. What’s your deal?” I whisper to her. She shrugs, “It’s a bittersweet day, Em. I have mixed emotions that you both are graduating today. Stop overthinking it,” she says. I am really getting tired of people telling me that.

As the commencement speech for Teagan’s program drags on, my mind goes back to four years ago.

After that day in the assembly hall, Teagan and I were together. Teagan always refers to that day as our anniversary, but I also argue it is the first night we were together. We ended up agreeing to disagree, celebrating both days each year. Dad and EJ were supportive from the start. Teagan, Sean, Mills and I would spend weekends taking EJ to the movies or out to get milkshakes. Mom still hadn’t come around and didn’t want Teagan at the house, so we found things to do elsewhere.

Teagan, E,J and Dad came to every lacrosse game together. They even started their own tradition of grabbing burgers before. They claimed it was their ‘superstition’, but I know it was just because Dad could get away with eating fast food once or twice a week. Mom came to the games, too, but didn’t sit with Dad, E,J and Teagan. She would sit with Mills’s mom or other team moms. The State Championship game changed everything. Mom had agreed to sit with Dad, EJ, and Teagan for the game. Dad made the case that it was my last game, and she needed to put aside her feelings and close this chapter with our family. I will never forget what I saw when the game was over. After the buzzer, I immediately turned to the stands to find my family and Teagan. I found the four of them in the stands celebrating and hugging each other. Seeing my mom embrace Teagan was a bigger win than any state trophy could be. A few months later, my family moved Teagan and I into college. Over the summer, Mom and I worked on our relationship. Gradually, her feelings about Teagan and our relationship changed. Mom would never admit it, but I think she likes being around Teagan more than the rest of us now.

Fast forward to today, I am watching the love of my life walk across a stage to get her diploma with an uneasy feeling that she is going to take on the next chapter without me.

A few hours later, I have my diploma in hand as I walk to meet my family and Teagan. She texts me to meet them in the courtyard behind the arena. She is standing near the fountain alone. She smirks when she sees me approaching but looks back down at her phone. I walk toward her, still unable to shake the feeling that the end of this chapter is the end of us. I smile as I approach her to mask my unease.

“Hey, babe. How did I look on stage?” I ask jokingly.

“You always look good,” she replies flatly. “Your parents went with EJ to grab him some food from the union. That kid doesn’t stop eating.”

We sit on the side of the fountain in silence for a few minutes. I notice Teagan keeps looking at her phone or around the courtyard. She would clearly rather be anywhere else.

“Are you about to breakup with me or something? If you are, please just get it over with. I cannot take the anxiety any longer,” I say in a whisper, looking down at the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Teagan’s head whirl toward me. I look up to meet her gaze. She looks like she has just been slapped across the face.

“What in the hell are you talking about? What gave you that idea?” She asks.

“You have barely been able to look at me or talk to me in weeks. It is getting really old,” I say as I stand and turn toward the fountain, my back to her. “I mean this is a big day for both of us and I have just felt like you are so focused on getting out of here with or without me.” I wait for her to answer me, but she remains silent.

I begin to turn around angrily, “You really have nothing to…” I freeze. Teagan is on her knee with a small wooden box in her hand.

“You were saying?” she said, smiling mischievously and opening the box. “I love you, Emmaline Briggs. I’ve been nervous for this moment, not second-guessing us. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you and I hope you will let me.”

I shake my head in disbelief. How could I have been so wrong? “There’s no need to hope,” I say, bending down to kiss her.

She stands and puts the ring on my finger when I hear clapping from behind. My family moves from behind the shrubbery into view. My mom with a camera in hand. We all hug and celebrate this moment together. Four years ago, I never would have thought this was possible.

I knew that girl would change my life.