Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long to update! I couldn't figure out what to write. This is the last chapter. Hope you like it!
Max's POV
I sat in my bike shop holding Alisha's old maroon jacket. They had given it back to her when they took Renee to the hospital. Rose and Sydney walked in. She's been staying with us for a month.
"Hey dad," Sydney said. "What's that?"
I smiled and stood up.
"Happy Birthday, Rose," I said, extending the jacket to her.
"A jacket?" She asked. "Thanks…"
I could tell she was confused.
"It's an important jacket," I told her.
"Really?" She questioned. "How's that?"
I motioned for her to sit down. Both her and Sydney did.
"Did your mom ever tell you how you were born?" I asked her.
"Just that she was in college," she informed me.
"Yeah," I said, "we went to the same college."
"Oh, cool," she said. "What does this have to do with this jacket?"
Sydney looked equally as confused as Rose.
"When Alisha and I were nineteen," I said, "she told me that you mom was in labor in the woman's restroom. I called 911 then went into the restroom. Alisha told me to hold your mom's hand. I was freaking out because I had never been in that situation. Alisha told me that…you were coming, and told me to hand her jacket to her." Rose looked down at the jacket. "When you were born, she wrapped you in it. It's pretty much your baby blanket."
"Wow…" Rose said, amazed. "You washed it, right?"
I could tell she was joking. I smiled at her.
"Yes," I told her. "Twenty-two years ago you were born; and twenty-two years ago, Alisha decided that she was going to be an obstetrician."
Sydney's jaw dropped and looked at Rose.
"She made that decision because of Rose?" She questioned in awe.
"Yep," I confirmed.
"Thank you, Max," Rose told me. "I can't believe you were there when I was born."
"I didn't even realize it was you until that cop—"
"Jeremiah," she corrected.
"Until Jeremiah said that your last name was Jacobs," I admitted.
Rose nodded. She looked back down at the jacket.
"No wonder my favorite color is maroon," she laughed.
"I'm glad I was actually able to get to know the baby my wife and I helped deliver," I told her. "I literally never thought I'd see you again after that day." I raised my eyebrows. "Wow…"
"What?" Sydney asked me.
"Twenty-two years ago," I said. "I'm old."
Sydney and Rose laughed.
"So, did your mom ever tell you why she named you Rose?" Sydney asked.
"It was her favorite flower," Rose answered. She realized something. "Wait…my middle name is Alisha. I thought it was just coincidence." She looked down at the jacket. "Thank you, Max. This is the best present I've ever received."
"No problem."
Six Months Later…
Sydney's POV
"Rose Alisha Jacobs," the President of the University announced, "Bachelor's in Education."
All of us cheered as she walked to the stage and received her degree.
After the graduation, we went to the bike shop to celebrate.
"Two graduations in one day," Grandma said, "today was eventful."
"Congrats on graduating from college," I told Rose.
"Yeah, Rose, congrats!" Olive said.
"Congrats on graduating from eighth grade, you two," she told us.
She hugged us.
"So, the pizza's on it's way," dad said. "Are your parents and brothers coming, Olive?"
"Yep," she said.
Dad looked at Rose.
"Hey!" He exclaimed with a smile. "You're wearing the jacket!"
I looked at her. She was. She was wearing a white dress along with it.
"Well," she started, "I thought it was the perfect way to kind of have both of our moms here."
She looked at me.
I hugged her. She hugged me back.
"I love you, Rose," I said.
"I love you, too," she told me.
"That's not unethical to say, right?"
"No, I'm not your teacher anymore," she said. "You're like family, Australia."
I smiled.
I looked over. Iggy was standing at the door with the pizzas.
"Oooo," I said, "the pizza's here!"
I broke the hug.
Dad took the pizzas from Iggy. I walked over to Iggy.
"Hey, Iggy," I greeted him.
"Hey, Sydney," he said. "This was my last delivery."
"Oh! Well, in that case, why don't you stay for the celebration?" I offered.
"What's the celebration?"
"I graduated from eighth grade," I said.
"Oh, cool," he said. "Woah, who's that?"
I looked and saw he was looking at Rose. I raised my eyebrows and smiled.
"That's Rose," I said. "You're in your twenties aren't you?"
"Yeah, I'm twenty-six," he said. "She's pretty."
"Why don't you go talk to her?"
"Oh…um," he said. "Nah, everyone thinks I'm weird."
"She's weird, too," I laughed. "I'm actually pretty sure everyone is. Just not everyone will admit it."
"Is she smart?"
"Yeah," I said, "she just graduated from college."
"Oh," he said. "I didn't graduate from high school."
"That doesn't matter, Iggy," I said, "you're smart in your own way."
"Thanks, Syd," he said. "Can you help me look nice?"
I smiled.
"Yeah, sure," I told him. I looked him over. "First, take off the hat."
He hesitated, but took it off.
"Forgive me," he said to the hat.
"Now lean your head down," I said. He did and I messed with his hair a little bit. "And your name tag." He looked at it like he wasn't sure. "You just have to introduce yourself; you don't need your name tag."
He nodded, took a breath, and took it off. He handed the hat and nametag to me.
"You've got this," I told him.
He smiled. He walked over to Rose, while I walked over to Olive and listened in.
"Uh, hi," he said. Rose looked at him. "I'm Iggy."
"Hi," she replied. "I like your long hair."
"Really?" He questioned, surprised. "Lots of people think it's weird."
"Well, I think it's cool," she told him.
I smiled.
"You're pretty," he told her. She smiled at him.
"Wow, thanks, Iggy," she told him. She blushed. Then she looked at him curiously. "Aren't you one of Sydney's friends? The pizza guy?"
"Yeah…" he said, looking disappointed. She saw the look on her face.
"Oh, no, I didn't mean that as an insult," she told him. "I think people who work in the food industry deserve more respect than they get."
"Do you like pizza?" He asked her.
"Yeah," she said, "it's one of my favorite foods."
He got all happy.
"Me too!" She laughed a little. "What do you do?"
"I'm a teacher," she said.
"Oh, teachers should be treated better, too," he said.
"Yeah, I agree," Rose said.
"I didn't graduate high school, so I can't go to college," he told her. "You're probably smarter than me."
"Education doesn't determine how smart you are," she told him. "And after a certain age you can go to college without a high school diploma, since they don't count high school GPA anymore."
"Really?"
"Yeah," she said.
He looked over at me and I gave him a 'go for it' look. He smiled and looked back at her.
"Can I take you on a date sometime?" He asked her.
She grinned.
"Yeah, definitely."
"Really?!" He asked her with a look of amazement on his face.
"Yeah, you seem really nice," she told him, "and really cute."
His jaw dropped with a gigantic smile attached.
"You're really cute, too!" He told her.
"Awwww!" Both Olive and I said.
"Thanks, Iggy," she said. "I like your name, by the way. It's different…in a good way."
They talked for the rest of the celebration.
After everyone left, we were picking up.
"So…playing matchmaker?" I heard Rose ask from behind me.
I turned around.
"How could I not?" I questioned. "He really liked you."
She smiled at me.
"Thanks, Australia," she said. "See you at home."
"Wait, where are you going?"
"On a date," she said with a smile. "Iggy and I are going to a movie."
I watched her walk out with a smile plastered on my face. Dad and I finished picking up and went home.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading!
