Tris woke up after a refreshing nap to find her mom in the kitchen cooking dinner with Christina and Marlene.
"There's my girl," Natalie said cheerfully when she saw her daughter.
"Your mom is making her famous lasagna," Christina said excitedly.
"With garlic bread and red wine," Marlene added.
Tris smiled and sat down at the kitchen island.
"I talked to Dad and Tobias," Natalie said, handing Tris a glass of wine.
Tris quirked an eyebrow questioningly.
"They're both furious with Caleb and Jeanine," Natalie elaborated. "I told Tobias that we don't want him donating to Jeanine's research after the way she behaved. He's very upset. Why didn't you tell him that they'd been harassing you? Dad's angry too. He's calling Caleb. And we want you to know that you should not fund his research just to keep the peace. That's blackmail, and it breaks my heart more than him missing your wedding ever could."
"Thanks Mom," Tris said. "I should probably talk to Tobias, too."
She looked up at the clock and realized that it was almost midnight in Albania. Maybe tomorrow, she thought as she sighed.
"You don't want to talk to him?" Natalie asked, misreading her daughter's sigh.
"It's not that," Tris clarified. "It's just almost midnight there. The timezone thing makes it hard to be there for each other."
"Text him," Natalie instructed. "If he's still up, I'm sure he'll call. If not, he'll get it in the morning."
Tris nodded and pulled out her phone to see a text from Tobias waiting for her.
4: Your mom called me. Why didn't you tell me Caleb and Jeanine were giving you a hard time?
T: I don't know. I feel like I've just been complaining all the time and throwing my problems at you. Besides, I know how you feel about Caleb, and I didn't want to upset you.
Apparently he was still awake, because her phone lit up with an incoming video call. She went to the bedroom for some privacy before answering.
"Zemra ime," Tobias said when he saw Tris' face. "I don't want you to hide things from me."
"I know," Tris replied. "But I don't want to be a burden. I feel like all I do is call you to complain. And they're my family, so they're my problem."
"I'm pretty sure I'm your family too," Tobias said, "and that makes it my problem too."
"I… I was afraid you'd give in," Tris confessed. "I thought you'd give them money to make them leave me alone, and I don't want you to do that. I have a bad feeling about this project and the people they're working with. When they harass me it makes me that much more stubborn. I don't want your name - our name - tied to this."
"Say it again," Tobias said with a sultry smile on his face. "Say 'our name' soon to be Mrs. Eaton."
Tris blushed and smiled shyly. "I don't want our good name tied to questionable research," she said. "I don't want to taint our home or our family with their bullshit. In fact, if Caleb decides not to come to our wedding, I'll be relieved. Because I'm coming home to you, Tobias, for good, and his negativity isn't welcome in our house."
Tobias growled, making Tris giggle. "Do you know what that does to me when you talk about our future together?"
"Show me," Tris teased, making Tobias groan again.
.
Andrew spoke to his son, and to his sister. Caleb threw a fit, claiming that Tris was their parents' favorite and that they were sucking up to Tobias. He claimed that he wasn't going to his sister's wedding. Andrew remained calm, and told his son that it was his choice.
Jeanine wasn't much better. She belittled Andrew's life choices, as she often had over the years. She tried to get him to see why Tobias should fund her research project, but Andrew told her that how Tobias Eaton spent his money was his own choice and that they needed to stay out of it.
In any case, they stopped harassing Tris, realizing that it wouldn't get them anywhere. She knew she should feel bad about the broken family relationship, but she was too busy looking forward to worry about the aunt who had never cared for her and the brother who'd followed that same path.
Once Tris worked past some of the things plaguing her and got back to work, time passed faster. When she wasn't working or going to school, Tris worked on Albanian with Rebekah or spent time with her parents. She also kept busy with wedding preparations.
Albanian weddings traditionally included gifts from the bride and her family to the groom's family - usually housekeeping items, and traditionally hand-crafted. Because Tobias had no family, Tris and her parents focused on his household staff. With Roza's help picking colors, Tris crocheted throw blankets for all the part-time workers on the estate, and Natalie knit washcloths and pot holders for their homes. For the full-timers, Tris and Natalie quilted. It was a time-consuming endeavor, but they'd started at Christmas and worked diligently at it. Now that Tris was being driven to her internship, she had even more time to work on her crocheting.
Other gifts for the household would be bought, and Tris and her mom were constantly texting each other different things they found online that looked like possibilities. They settled on housekeeping items for Rebekah, since she would be setting up her new apartment in the Eaton house. For Roza and for Rarman and his wife they chose decorative items. They selected a portable fire pit for Jorik to put on his patio.
Amar and George were the toughest. Tris and Natalie had already made them a quilt, and that relationship was much closer and more meaningful than their relationship with the rest of the staff. Tris struggled to find just the thing to give them.
It was Christina, the self-proclaimed shopping queen, who came up with it. She was asking Tris about George and Amar's home, and when Tris described it as "European, but warmer. Kind of mid century modern, but with warm colors and more decorative accessories."
"What about Frank Lloyd Wright?" Christina had suggested. "It's very Chicago, but it sounds like it would blend with their style. I think they make furniture and lamps and things in that style."
The suggestion had turned out to be just the thing. Tris found a sideboard that could work as an entertainment center or just as a decorative table. She also bought a coffee table book about the designer to go with it, and let Tobias know that there would be furniture to include in her flight to Albania.
.
Tris' twenty-second birthday landed on a Sunday, the day before finals week. She spent the morning with her parents, attending church and going out for lunch. She'd been home all weekend working on wedding details, studying, and sorting through her possessions. Even with a private jet at her disposal, moving halfway around the world called for a heavy-handed sort.
Tobias sent flowers and a bottle of pink champagne, and he video called her before church in the morning.
"I didn't ship your birthday gift," he said apologetically.
"Yes you did," Tris replied. "I got the flowers and champagne yesterday."
"That's, uh, that's not your gift," Tobias said. "That's just some fun for celebrating this weekend. Your real gift is right here."
He held up a jewelry box, and Tris raised an eyebrow disapprovingly. "Tobias, you spend too much money on me," she argued.
"You've been saying that since we met," Tobias countered, "but I'll never believe it. Today is my beautiful fiancee's birthday. That means that today I get to spoil you and you can't argue."
"But you always spoil me."
"So?" Tobias said, obviously unwilling to back down.
He opened the jewelry box so Tris could see her gift. It was a pair of drop earrings, diamond crusted on top, with a small clear diamond and a large teardrop-shaped pink stone.
"The pink is sapphire and the clear stones are diamonds," Tobias said. "I thought you could wear them on our wedding day. That's why I didn't ship them. I thought I could keep them here for you until you arrive."
"They're beautiful," Tris said in shock. "And they'll be perfect with my dress."
"I had help, you know," Tobias said with a smirk. "A little birdy who's seen your dress thought they would work."
They talked for a few more minutes about school and finals. Tris told her fiance about the silver heart earrings her parents had given her to match her casual Tiffany necklace. Tobias apologized several times for not coming for her birthday.
"Please don't feel bad," Tris urged him. "I have finals this week and I'm busy packing and stuff. It's not like you missed a party. I'd much rather have you here for graduation next week."
"I wouldn't miss that," Tobias said, "and this is the last time I'll miss being with you on your birthday, I promise. For the rest of your life we'll spend your birthday together."
.
When she went back to DU on Sunday afternoon, Tris had several boxes of stuff to offer her friends before it got donated. The girls had cupcakes, wine, and pizza together as they sorted through the things Tris didn't plan to take to Albania.
The next week was a series of tests, papers to turn in, and packing up her life. Tris couldn't believe that her four years at DU were over already. She had so many memories of good times with her friends, hard work in her classes, work at the coffee shop, and fun wrapped up there. When she finished her last final on Thursday she wandered around campus for a while to soak it all in.
Tris had been taking things home bit by bit during her last weeks of school. After finals she met up with Rebekah to get some of her friend's packed belongings, then took them to her parents' house. Tobias and Amar would take Rebekah and her belongings with them to Albania after graduation so Tris' new assistant/translator could get settled in before the wedding chaos ensued.
Saturday morning was bright and beautiful. A car service picked Tris up at her parents' home, and drove her to the airport. As she sat in the black Mercedes waiting for her fiance to arrive in his private jet, Tris had a moment of realization that took her breath away. This was her life now. Car service, designer clothes, private jets - it was becoming natural, but when she stopped to really think about it, it still seemed so unreal. She'd taken to getting regular manicures and expensive hair treatments, and when she looked down at her tasteful rose pink fingernails tapping away at her new top-of-the-line cell phone in a designer case, she almost laughed at herself.
"Miss Prior," the driver said. "I've been informed that Mr. Eaton's flight is behind schedule. Would you like to pick up coffee or something to eat?"
"Coffee sounds good," she said. "Or we can get food if you're hungry. My treat."
"That's not necessary," the driver said politely.
"I insist," Tris said. "If Mr. Eaton is going to make us wait, he can at least buy us coffee, right?"
The driver chuckled."Yes ma'am," he conceded.
.
A pair of lattes later, Tris and the driver, a thirty-something new father named Joe, were back at the airport. Tris had moved to the front seat, and Joe was showing her pictures of his adorable new baby.
This is what I never want to lose, Tris thought. No matter how comfortable I become with wealth and luxury, I never want to stop getting to know people and making new friends.
Tobias' plane finally taxied up to where they were parked, and Tris hopped out of the car. The door opened, dropping the stairway, and a flight attendant stepped down with the rolled-up blue carpet in her arms.
Tris hurried toward the plane, and was at the end of the carpet when Tobias stepped out.
"Tobias," she said with a smile.
"There's my girl," Tobias said, stepping forward to take Tris in his arms, "my college graduate!"
"Just one more goodbye," Tris said into Tobias' chest as she held him close. "Just one more goodbye, and it's a short one."
"No goodbyes today," Tobias said, pulling back to look Tris in the eyes. "Don't worry about that right now. We have the whole weekend together to celebrate you."
Amar stepped out and greeted Tris with a hug. "Congratulations!" he said. "We're very proud of you."
Joe helped Amar get the bags, then left. Tobias helped Tris into the Mercedes, then joined her in the back seat.
"I got you a little something for graduation," Tobias said.
"Is it you?" Tris asked. "Because that's what I want. I told you no presents, Tobias."
"You already have me, Zemra ime," Tobias replied. "Graduation is a big accomplishment. I wanted to recognize that with a gift."
Amar opened Tobias' door and handed him a flat box from Dolce and Gabbana, and a Manolo Blahnik shoe box.
"Just a little something," Tobias said as he slid the boxes from his lap to Tris'. "You can wear it for graduation unless you have something else planned, or you can just wear it when you want."
Tris tried not to roll her eyes. She opened the larger box first and found a beautiful spaghetti-strap dress. It was black with a print of big blush pink English roses. Black lace trim on the waist, neckline, and hem added a nice accent. In the shoebox she found perfectly coordinated blush pink kitten heel slingback pumps.
"This is perfect!" she said. "Thank you, Tobias. I would love to wear this to graduation. And I think the Tiffany necklace with the matching earrings from my parents will be perfect with it."
Amar drove the couple to the Pinnacle, where Tobias had reserved the big suite where the young couple had spent their first night together passed out on the media room couch.
"Why did you get the big suite?" Tris asked as they stepped outside to see the view from the suite's large patio.
"Because," Tobias said with a twinkle in his eye, "it was winter that first trip. I wanted to enjoy this gorgeous balcony in the spring. And… we may be hosting a… small dinner celebration here tonight."
"Tobias," Tris said with warning in her voice.
Tobias just grinned, and wrapped his arms around her. "Relax," he said, "it's just a casual barbecue -"
"- on the rooftop terrace of one of Chicago's most elite hotels," Tris interrupted.
"Yes, well I don't have a house here," Tobias argued. "Besides, my friends who are graduating deserve to be celebrated."
"Friends?" Tris asked, emphasizing the plural as she turned to look him in the face. "Just give it to me straight, T'keqen."
"You haven't called me that since we were in London," Tobias said.
"You're changing the subject," Tris said, blushing.
"That was one of the most powerful emotional experiences of my life," Tobias said huskily as he drew Tris closer in his arms. "That whole London trip, actually. That was where we first made love, where we first said 'I love you,' and where you made that impassioned speech. You said I was more than my fortune. You said I wasn't damaged. And you said I was nothing like Marcus and that you trusted me with your life."
"You have a good memory," Tris said shyly, thinking about how she got all riled up and practically yelled in defense of Tobias.
"I felt those words so deep in my soul that I'm surprised they didn't appear on my skin like a tattoo," Tobias said, then planted a kiss on Tris' forehead. "You made me feel so loved, and so strong. I just wanted to have my way with you right there on the table."
"I could tell," Tris giggled. "Now quit stalling and tell me about this dinner party so we can go take a nap."
.
What Tobias had planned was a barbecue on the patio with Christina and her parents and sister, Uriah and his mom, Marlene and her parents, Lynn and her mom, step-dad, and brother, and, of course, Tris' parents. Amar met their guests in the hotel lobby and put them on the express elevator to the suite. The hotel catered the food. Chicago provided the spectacular views. The evening was casual, but elegant, and everyone had a good time.
.
Sunday was graduation day. Tris and Tobias got ready in the suite, then Amar drove them to Dauntless, where they met up with Natalie, Andrew, and Rebekah at the honors brunch.
Many people - friends and strangers alike, stopped by their table to introduce themselves to Tobias. He was polite, but Tris could tell that he was also annoyed. While he was cordial with those Tris introduced as friends, he was coolly detached with the strangers and took every opportunity to turn their conversation back to the graduates and their accomplishments.
After brunch Tris and Rebekah went to the fieldhouse to check in for the ceremony, and the rest of their party went to meet Tris' friends' families at the spot they'd settled on during the barbecue.
Graduation was boring, and Tris was grateful that Natalie had altered her graduation gown to put in a pocket so she could have her phone. She used it to text Tobias discreetly while the dignitaries on stage read off name after name.
T: Remind me again why I'm participating in this ceremony. It's so BORING!
4: Suffering through graduation is a rite of passage, like taking tests. Besides, you look cute in your little hat and robe. And it did give me an excuse to come see you.
T: OK, if this is what it takes to see you, it's worth it.
4: Christina's mom says she's in this next group. Are you going to scream loud?
T: Uri brought an air horn. We figure he has one shot before they come take it from him. He has a few other things planned, too, so it's going to get more interesting now.
A moment later Christina's name was called, and just as Tris said, Uriah fired off a loud honk with his air horn. People sitting around him startled and covered their ears, and onstage Christina nearly tripped. Tris got the giggles and couldn't stop laughing.
Just as Tris predicted, someone came and confiscated the horn from Uriah. Tris took out her phone to text Tobias again.
T: Wait until you see what he has planned for Marlene.
4: What does he have planned for you?
T: I guess we'll see. But don't worry, I have something for him, too.
Marlene and Rebekah were in the same group, and they went through next. Tris cheered loudly and took pictures when Rebekah walked across the stage. When Marlene's name was called, Tris got her camera ready.
As she walked across the stage, silly string came shooting up from the front row of graduates. Most of it just went up in the air and landed on the floor in front of the stage, but some of it hit Marlene. She laughed when the university president pulled silly string off her graduation cap as he handed her a diploma.
Uri and Lynn were in the same group, and Lynn went first. As she stepped up the stairs to the stage, Uriah reached over and stuck a strip of toilet paper to the bottom of her robe. Lynn had no idea, and as she crossed the stage with toilet paper hanging out of her dress, everyone chuckled.
Lynn heard the laughter and looked up at the big screen. "Uriah!" she exclaimed, stooping to detach the errant TP, "I'm going to get you!"
Uriah stepped on stage and bowed to the audience. The dignitaries on stage just shook their heads and continued.
When Uriah crossed the stage, everything was normal, just friends and family cheering. Tobias was about to text Tris and ask what happened to her prank when laughter erupted to the side of the stage. Tobias craned his neck and saw Uri, posed at the photographer's backdrop where the graduates' photos were being taken as they left the stage. He was covered in pink confetti, and had a shocked look on his face.
Tobias zoomed in and captured a small, fuzzy picture, then texted it to Tris.
4: Naughty girl. You made a mess.
T: Are you going to spank me later?
4: How did you pull that off?
T: Bribed a janitor. It's the same reason Uri isn't going to be punished for the silly string. I warned the janitor and offered him some money for the additional mess it was going to create. He thought it was funny and offered to be the one to dump the bucket of confetti on Uri. It's just paper, and he's sweeping it up right now so it doesn't get tracked all over the gym.
4: Why wasn't Will pranked?
T: He has some dirt on Uriah. It made Uri too scared to try anything
4: Dirt?
T: Secrets. Blackmail. Something like that.
4: Aren't you worried about what Uri will do to you?
T: No, I'm the inside guy. I greased the janitor's palm and helped him pull the pranks. That gives me immunity.
4: And you believe that?
T: Not really. We'll see, I guess.
They didn't have to wait long. Tris put her phone away and got in line with the others in her group. They made their way slowly down the aisle, handing their name slips to the announcer and climbing the stairs to the stage.
Tris took the three steps and waited for the emcee to say her name. "Beatrice Gertrude Agnes Prior," the woman announced a little sheepishly.
Tris threw her head back and laughed, then crossed the stage with a big grin.
"I take it that's not your name?" the president asked as he handed Tris her diploma.
"Beatrice Grace," Tris said. "I go by Tris because I've always hated my old lady name. My prankster friend likes to give me a hard time."
"Well congratulations, Tris," the president said as he shook her hand.