After everything Landon and Jamie had been through over the past few weeks graduation seemed fairly anti climatic. It didn't make it any less important, it just didn't symbolize what it had. A diploma no longer meant maturity and wisdom; they had found that for themselves.
Jamie was not strong enough to leave her hospital bed for the ceremony and Landon argued that he did not need to go either. Jamie insisted though and so his mother and Reverend Sullivan accompanied him there where they met his father and his family.
It was a beautiful, bright, sunny day but Landon's mind wandered through the speeches as he sat with the other graduates in cap and gown. If anything he considered this graduation closure, an end to a part of his life that he was not particularly proud of. He still wished Jamie could be there beside him.
He was staring down at his wedding band, twisting it around and around his finger with his thumb when someone poked his shoulder. He turned around to see Eric, who was sitting almost directly behind.
"Are you waiting for them to bring it to you?" He asked with a laugh.
"Wha...?" Landon stuttered before he heard his name being called, "Landon Rawlins Carter?" from the tone he could tell it was not the first time.
Hurrying to stand up, he heard several giggles and knew he was blushing. He rushed to the front of the stage where Principal Kelly was standing. He grasped hold of Landon's hand as he handed him his diploma.
"I have to say Mr. Carter, its not often I am wrong about someone. In your case I'm glad I was. I wish you luck with your future."
"Thank you sir," he murmured about to step away when an idea struck him. "Can I have a quick word with you after? It's important."
Jamie was seated in a wheelchair by the window when Landon came into her room just over an hour later. He stood in the doorway watching her for a moment. The colour was finally beginning to come back into her cheeks and while he would not go so far as to say she looked healthy there was a definite improvement.
She sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap and Landon could tell by the faraway expression on her face that she was day dreaming as she gazed out the window. Creeping up slowly behind her he rested his cheek against hers. "What are you thinking about?" He whispered.
She didn't even flinch in surprise just slowly turned her head away from the window, smiling at him as if he had been there all along, "you." Then as if coming out of a trance she blushed a little. "I guess I shouldn't have told you that. According to Cosmo it is best to leave you wanting for more rather then being direct with you."
She laughed then. "Dean keeps insisting on reading it to me, I think he's learning more then I am.
"Anyway, how did it go? Did you get your diploma? Did you get mine? Can I see them?"
Landon held up his hand to quiet her and then without a word went to the door way and stuck his head out, "okay, everyone come on in."
Jamie gaped as her room quickly filled with people. First came her father and Landon's parents, then Belinda, Eric, Dean, Tracie and Clay, then Dr. Patterson and Hope and several other of the medical staff which had been treating Jamie followed by several teachers and classmates from Stars and Planets and the Drama club ending with Principal Kelly.
When all was said and done there were over thirty people crowded into the room. Belinda produced a cap and gown and helped Jamie slip into it explaining, "it's all Landon's idea. You couldn't come to graduation so we brought it to you."
Taking hold of Landon's hand she mouthed 'thank you' before turning her attention to Principal Kelly who had made his way up to her. "I'm sorry to say that we have to be quick about this. Apparently we are breaking several health and safety codes by having so many people in such a confined area, we just wanted to make sure that one of the best students our school has ever seen was not left out."
With that said he produced Jamie's diploma and handed it to her taking hold of her free hand, "Congratulations, Jamie Sullivan Carter. I expect great things from you."
Tears streaming down her face she said thank you and then raising her voice, "Thank you to all of you for coming and for everything you have all done for me. I want you to know that I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart." Grinning then through her tears, "And that means something since I no longer have a huge hole in it!"
The room filled with laughter as people began to file out, everyone calling goodbye to Jamie, promising to visit later. Finally there was just a handful left. Reverend Sullivan and Hope decided to go down to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee and invited Dr. Carter and Crystal and Mrs. Carter.
Landon's mother hesitated for a moment and Landon knew she was trying to get past old hurts. Finally she nodded. Following the rest out of the room she looked over her shoulder at Landon who gave her an encouraging smile.
Left behind with Jamie and Landon were Belinda, Tracie, Eric, Dean and Clay. There was a moment of silence than everyone started to speak at the same time.
Looking around at each other laughing it was Tracie who was the first to speak. She held up her left hand, which was adorned by a new ring. "Dean asked me to marry him last night!"
She was glowing and Dean was grinning ear to ear. Landon leaned in to hug Tracie and then reached to shake Dean's hand but pulled him into a hug at the last minute. "Congratulations, buddy." He said pounding him on the back.
Pulling back Dean shrugged still smiling broadly before he threw his arm over Tracie's shoulder. "You and Jamie make it look easy so we figured we might as well give it a shot."
"And we won't be getting married right away." Tracie assured them. "I'm going to beauty-school in the fall and Dean's apprenticing to become a mechanic in his dad's shop so it won't be for at least a year or so." She looked up at Dean and smiled, the same kind of smile Landon recognized as what Jamie gave him when she was especially happy. He was glad that Dean finally came to his senses and realized what a great girl he had.
After everyone had admired Tracie's ring and offered his or her congratulations Belinda cleared her throat. "There's something we want to tell you guys." She made a wide sweeping motion that included Clay and herself.
Before she had a chance to continue Eric cut in. "If y'all are getting married I'm getting new friends."
Laughing Belinda shook her head while Clay's ears turned pink and he stared down at the floor smiling. "No, we are not getting married!" She punched Eric's arm jokingly. "Instead of heading straight off to college in the fall we decided to spend a year backpacking through Europe. I mean, if not now when will we get the chance?"
There was a shocked silence so Belinda continued unperturbed. "As soon as Clay's cast comes off in August we're heading off!"
Clay who had for the most part remained silent finally spoke. "It's something I have wanted to do since I was a kid and then when Belinda said she would love to do it too we just decided to go for it!"
"I think it's an amazing thing to do." Jamie told them from her chair, "think of everything you'll see and all the people you'll meet!"
"Yeah, send a postcard!" Eric said impatiently. "Am I the only one going away to college in the fall?" He rolled his eyes at Tracie's protest; "I mean a college with books, not magazines in the waiting rooms!"
Everyone laughed as Tracie marched over and stamped on his foot. Everyone except Jamie.
"What, Jamie?" Belinda asked having heard her say something, raising her voice over Eric's yowling as Tracie continued to whack him over a head with a rolled up newspaper.
"I said, Landon's going to college in the fall." She said.
The room went suddenly silent. "I thought you said you were waiting for January." Dean said.
Shifting uncomfortably on his perch on the windowsill. He avoided looking at Jamie. "Well, yeah, I am. I mean, I was going to wait. What does one semester mean in the long run?"
The silence continued before Eric glanced down at his watch. "Man, is that the time? I told my parents I would meet them for dinner. I gotta make tracks."
He practically fled the room and it's now heavy atmosphere calling over his shoulder, "I'll see you guys later!"
Everyone else quickly followed suite muttering their good byes not quite knowing what was going on but not wanting to be there anymore.
"Do you want help back into bed?" Landon asked after several minutes just to break the silence. He knew he should have told her earlier that he had already arranged to start college in January. He just didn't want to upset her.
"Am I the reason you aren't going to college in the fall?" Jamie asked quietly. She didn't give him a chance to answer. "Because if I am I think that is the stupidest thing you have ever done."
Stunned he could only stare at her. "I don't need you to stay home and play nurse to me, Landon. Before I had the operation I told you that if anything happened to me I wanted you to go on with your life. Well, something did happen to me. I had open-heart surgery. I can't just get up after that and go on with my life the way it was. But you can!"
"No, I know that Jamie," He started to protest trying to find a way to explain.
She cut him off again, "will you just let me speak!" she clutched the armrests on her wheel chair as she stared at him, her eyes flashing with anger. "You can't keep giving everything up for me Landon. I know you are trying to do what you think is right but I can't expect that from you. You have been wonderful to me, incredible but now you have to go and do something for yourself."
"I am doing something for myself!" he argued pushing away from the window ledge. "I'm being with you! Would you stop being such a martyr and let me!"
He stood in front of her staring down into her eyes. "I love you Jamie, I married you because I love you and now I don't to be away from you even for a second until you can go away with me!"
She looked down at her hands and then back up at him. "I don't want to fight, Landon. I'm just really tired and I think I need to go to bed, can you help me?"
He helped her into bed without another word. "I love you Jamie." He whispered kissing her forehead.
With sad eyes she looked up at him, "I love you, Landon."
Sinking down into a nearby chair he watched her drift off to sleep. His heart heavy and his mind fogged with confusion he stared ahead unseeingly. He had really thought the worst was behind them now. Closing his own eyes he began to pray for answers.
A/N: I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update, I wrote this chapter last Saturday and then managed to lose the file somehow. So obviously I had a tantrum, said some bad words before I sat down and tried to recreate what I had just lost. It's taken me almost a week now to be fairly happy with this chapter. As always let me know what you think!