Erin looked around at the group gathered in their back yard. David had spoken with the rest of their neighbours when Jack had asked that he and Elise have a joint graduation party, since they had been co-valedictorians, to ask if it would be all right if they had a lot of guests coming and going that afternoon, and thankfully, all of them had agreed to it. And now, they were celebrating the accomplishments of their beloved children, and Erin couldn't be prouder of what they had accomplished in the last nine years.
"Pretty good turnout."
She looked up into Matteo Cruz's grinning face and nodded, a grin on her lips. "I'm so glad that so many people were able to make it. And that you grounded the team for a week so that I could have help decorating and getting all the last-minute details together."
"Well, I think that I would have had a small mutiny on my hands if I hadn't. It was hard enough taking over your position after you decided to retire a few years back, since everyone was so sad to see you go."
Erin shrugged. "It took me so long to earn their respect, Matt. To find myself missed to such a degree just warmed my heart so much. And things are going well?"
"Yeah, but you left behind some very large shoes to fill. I'm still working on that." She chuckled as she reached out and patted his shoulder before glancing over at the doors, seeing that Emily had finally arrived.
"If you'll excuse me," she murmured as she went over to the patio. Emily gave her a small wave before holding out the gift bags in her other hand. "You didn't have to bring gifts on top of your presence. It was a long flight from London."
"Well, it isn't every day that two BAU kids graduate high school as co-valedictorians. And I haven't been back home enough to watch them grow up, so it was only right that I brought something over to celebrate them." Erin nodded before gesturing towards the gift table. Emily nodded and left her side to set them down before she went to mingle with the others gathered.
"Everything is going so well, Erin."
"And I have you to help thank for that, Jessie. I could never have done this without your help, even though I have been retired for the last four years. Is Harriet here yet?"
Jessica shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, one of her patients went into labour, so I am the only representative of our family."
"Well, I'll gladly take you here." Erin hugged her closely, and breathed in deeply. "I love that you've been such an important part of our lives for the last eighteen years. I don't know where I would have been if I didn't have your help."
Jessica nodded as Erin took hold of her hand and they went over to the refreshment table. "It looks like the caterers are keeping up."
"David only hires the best." She looked over to see Jack and Elise talking with a few of their friends from school. "I can't get over how much they look like real twins. I mean, I see Haley in Jack, and I see myself in Elise, but there's just something about their features that is so similar."
"Aaron has strong genes, I guess," she replied with a small giggle. "I mean, he and Beth's daughter looks almost exactly like him, too. Speaking of Beth, I'm going to go check in with her. She mentioned something about helping me acquire a lovely painting for Harriet's birthday." Jessica kissed her cheek before heading over to where Beth and Aaron were standing, talking to Tara and Luke.
Finding herself free, Erin drifted over to where Catherine was, taking a seat next to her on the tree swing. "I'm trying not to feel left out, Mama, but it's hard."
"I know, but your special day will be here soon enough, and it will be all about you."
"Even though I'm not in a traditional high school?"
Erin nodded as she reached out to pat her youngest daughter's knee. "You're following your passions, and we are glad to support your talents with the arts. We just miss having you home."
"Yeah, well, Uncle Sean has been really good at taking care of me while I go to school in the City. I know that he's probably counting down the hours until I graduate."
"And you would be wrong, kiddo. Alice and I love having you in our apartment, especially when we get to see your projects in progress." Sean reached out to ruffle Catherine's hair. "But if you do get lonely, just let us know, and we'll bring you home for the weekend. And you'll be here all summer."
"I know, Uncle Sean. I guess I'm just being weird."
"It's okay to be weird, and follow your own path." Erin leaned over and kissed her daughter's cheek softly. "Now, we're going to enjoy the rest of this party and then, while the cleanup occurs, we'll head inside and watch a movie."
Catherine smiled as she nodded, Sean taking Erin's place on the swing as she went over to Alex and James. "I don't think that the kids are going to need a thing for college!"
"Hush, you all went overboard on them! It's not like they need to worry about paying for tuition, since they each got full ride scholarships to their school of choice. But it is nice to see just how much everyone loves them. Even their friends coming over to celebrate tells me that we raised two good children. I just don't want to think about the fact that they're grown and leaving their nests. And it will be just David and me in that huge house once Cathy goes back to her school in the autumn. But I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Really?" James asked, sounding a little incredulous.
"Yes. I was able to move beyond the sins of my past to become a new, better, person over the years, and seeing that come to fruition in Elise and Jack successfully graduating from high school with such high honors, tells me that I did something right. That my sins were washed away by hard work, and that as I learned to love myself and those around me more, I became the person that Lexie knew back in the Academy."
"You worked so hard, Erin, yes. And I am just as proud of that hard work as I am of the kiddos. So, James has to work a night shift today, since he had to switch to come here. Would you mind if I stayed after and helped with things?"
"I would love that, Lexie." She smiled at her friend, feeling her eyes well up with tears as she slipped her arm around Alex's waist to look around at their guests. A warm feeling of accomplishment filled her breast as she realized just how true her words were. She had worked hard to become this new person, and she wouldn't change a moment of her life, as it had led to such joy and love.
