"Oh c'mon, Brenna! One last picture with your sister!" Sara begged to Brenna.
Brenna sighed, "Mom, we're gonna be late the ceremony starts at 10:00."
"Yeah, mom. You've got plenty. And we can take more afterwards." April said.
"I know, I know." Sara gave in, " it's just you look so cute in your cap and gown!"
"Yeah, you do Bren. Besides, we should have actual proof that you graduated college, since no one would ever believe us."Grandma teased.
Sara and April laughed.
The Boston College ceremony was long and boring and full of terrible clichés about how this is the beginning of the rest of their lives and all that stuff. Leo actually fell asleep in the middle but was woken up by an elbow to the ribs by April and a pair of dagger eyes from Sara. After the ceremony, the gathered at the house for a celebratory dinner. Everyone was there Sara and Uncle George, April and Leo, Dominic and Natalie, Grandma, Kieran, Beth and Graham and Adam their 2 year old son. Brenna hadn't stopped smiling.
"Hey, you. Come here." April said to Brenna with a mischievous grin.
"What do you want?"
"I have a surprise for you. But you have to close your eyes."
Brenna gave out an exasperated sigh and closed her eyes. April took her hand and led her up the stairs. They walked a few steps and Brenna heard door open and April guided her into the room.
"Okay opens your eyes." Brenna did.
"Wow. It's my room..." Brenna said sarcastically.
"SURPRISE!" Greer jumped up from behind the bed.
"Oh my...GREER!" I thought you said you couldn't come."
"Are you kidding? I wanted to surprise you. Especially, when you graduated in environmental science. As president of Eco club I couldn't miss this."
Brenna smiled, "Come here, you." Greer walked around the bed and Brenna placed her hand on her neck and started kissing Greer, passionately.
"Uh, ok. I guess I'll just leave you two."
Neither, Greer or Brenna replied and April awkwardly left the room.
"Brenna! Dinner is getting cold!" Sara shouted from downstairs.
Brenna groaned and pulled her face from Greer's.
"I missed you." Greer whispered.
"Me too."
"BRENNA!" Sara continued.
Brenna and Greer descended the stairs hand in hand and joined the others at the table.
"Greer! Nice to see you! That explains why Brenna was taking so long upstairs." Grandma said with a knowing smile.
"Well, can we eat already I'm starving!" Leo complained.
"Hold on a second, not before a toast." Sara said and stood up with a glass of wine on her hand. She cleared her throat, "I just want to say how happy and thankful I am right now. First and foremost, Brenna. I am so incredibly proud of you. I guess I can safely say that most of us had doubts that you would graduate high school, let alone college..."
Everyone laughed, even Greer.
"...But you defied the odds and you did it. That brings me to my second point about defying odds. April, it has been 3 years 4 months and 2 days since you were declared cancer free and I have thanked my lucky stars every single day since. You are the strongest person I know and I know that strength comes from Leo too, so thank you Leo for making my daughter so happy. And thank you to my wonderful husband, George, I love you. And finally, thanks to all the rest of you who have filled our lived with happiness even through the darkest of times. So... to family!"
"TO FAMILY!" Everyone raised their glass and started eating dinner.
"So Greer, what do you study?" George asked.
"I'm studying law at Harvard. Civil rights."
"That's very impressive. She's a keeper, Brenna."
"Yeah she is." Brenna smiled weakly.
"Bren, are you ok? You look a little pale." April said.
"Yeah just a little tired. I'll be right back." Brenna stood up and went to the bathroom she did look a little tired and pale. She washed her face with cold water. It felt good and took a towel and stated drying her face. She noticed there was blood on the towel.
"What the-" she muttered and looked at the mirror to see there was blood streaming down her nose.
