"And so, graduating class of Meriton Charter, we leave here today not just graduates. But friends. Family. A community."

Eli stood at the center of the universe and every set of eyes in Meriton Charter's football stadium were glued on him. Even the tall glowing stadium lights seemed to have shifted to spotlight him. Darcy couldn't stop smiling. Her cheeks hurt and her heart glowed with pride as she watched her boyfriend make the closing remarks at their graduation.

Darcy could have mouthed the words along with Eli as he spoke. He had spent countless hours in her living room, standing in front of the fireplace with an imaginary podium before him, reciting the speech over and over again, looking out into the middle distance each time. Darcy had the speech just as memorized as he did. Especially since she had helped him write it.

Darcy looked over the heads of her classmates to the bleachers beyond where all the friends and family, the whole town sat, to celebrate with the graduates.

Darcy spotted her row easily enough. The Bennetts took up the first half, all the younger siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, packed in together. Mr. Bennett's eyes were glowing with soft tears that threatened to fall while his wife sitting next to him couldn't stop blowing her nose into a handkerchief, her tears flowing freely.

Jamie tried patting his mom's shoulder to comfort her but there was nothing to do. Next to him sat Charlie, then Henry and Lois. Darcy's eyes glazed over the three of them and came to rest on George. He wasn't watching Eli. He was watching Darcy. He waved when their eyes met and Darcy returned the gesture. George leaned over nudged his companion, pointing out where Darcy sat at the very end of her section, the last seat on the last row. Darcy waved to her father. He beamed back, his smile wide, his own eyes glowing.

Darcy's heart squeezed at the sight of her family, lined up in a little row, watching her, supporting her, together.

Lois had spilled the beans early. She had been too excited to see Marco reunited with his family. It didn't matter that his plane had landed late, that he was completely jet-lagged and barely conscious. She blurted out Darcy's big news as he was eating cold pasta on the kitchen counter.

His fork hung in mid-air while his brain processed what Lois had just told him. He looked to Darcy for confirmation. She nodded. His fork was forgotten. As was his jet lag. He wrapped his daughter up in a big hug and whispered in her ear that he was proud of her, that her mother would be proud of her.

Once all the tears were shed and wiped away, Darcy and her father stayed up late planning the next year of their lives, what life would look like now that Darcy would be working full time at the gallery, full time with her father. He swore, then and there, to change his summer plans. They had too much work to do and he wanted to get started right away.

The idea of college seemed a far-away memory that Darcy was having trouble remembering as excitement and enthusiasm filled her father's eyes.

"It doesn't matter who we are, how long we've been here. Some of us have been here since kindergarten. And some of us showed up only a few months ago."

Eli's voice booming through the speakers brought Darcy's attention back to the stage at the end of the field. He was looking directly at her when he spoke his next line.

"We have all had an impact on each other. Forever. It is with great pride that I stand here today, to represent this year's graduating class, as your salutatorian. And now, Meriton graduates, I ask that you join me in the moving of our tassels."

One wave of movement rippled through the seats as they followed Eli's example, everyone moving their tassels from one side to the next.

"That's it, guys. We did it!"

At his final words, a cry raised towards the sky as each graduating senior rose from their seats and flung their caps into the air.

Music started to swell as the students cried out, the same song that had led their progression to their seats at the beginning of the evening.

Darcy's neighbor, Lydia Waller, pulled her into a tight squeeze. They had spent the last three days of graduation practice getting to know each other and so Darcy returned the embrace.

Darcy left her companion to hug the rest of their peers and left the crowd behind, heading for the stage, keeping to the edges of the field. People called out her name in greeting as she passed by, some even reaching out and patting her on the back, all of them people she barely knew. But it didn't matter. She was one of them.

Darcy tried standing tall on her tiptoes, looking over the crowd, trying to spot Eli.

"Looking for me?"

Darcy spun around and found him waiting for her, arms open wide. Darcy closed the distance in a heartbeat, wrapping her arms around him.

Just as he leaned in, someone crashed into the two of them, forcing them apart.

"We did it, kid!"

Carson grabbed Darcy from behind and lifted her high. Darcy let out a laugh and then a cry to put her down. Carson's hat was gone and his robe was already unzipped and flying open.

"Good speech, dude."

Eli met Carson's handshake with a steady one of his own, burgeoning respect on both of their faces.

Charlie and Jamie came racing towards them from the stands and their little group grew as the parents made their way over in an orderly fashion.

Henry got to Darcy first and squeezed her tight, planting a big kiss on the top of her head. Lois held her out at arm's length so she could get a good look, tears flowing down her cheeks as she pulled Darcy in for a hug. George waited patiently for his turn.

"I'm proud of you, sis."

Darcy could relax in George's arms and whispered the same congratulations back to him, his own graduation the previous day.

Marco was patient. He stood on the outside of the crowd, giving Darcy space and time to go through everyone else first. When Darcy was finally released, she spotted her dad waiting for her. She turned back for one thing and then made her way to her father, Eli in tow.

"Dad, this is my boyfriend, Eli Bennett. Eli, this is my father."

Marco's eyes went narrow as he looked Eli up and down. It didn't matter that Marco stood a full head shorter than Eli, his attitude made up the difference.

"Nice to meet you, sir."

Marco waited a long moment before accepting Eli's handshake. He glanced over at Darcy, a question in his eyes. Darcy nodded, easing Marco's hard stare.

"Nice to meet you, too, Eli. What are you going to be studying next year?"

"Photography. Darcy says that's your line of work."

Marco's gaze lightened with every word Eli spoke and Darcy sighed as she watched her two worlds merge together.

The Williams/Bingley clan stayed on the field long after all the students had cleared off. The Bennetts were introduced to the Bingleys and then to Marco. Chatter was passed back and forth. And Darcy watched all of it from underneath Eli's arm. She couldn't have asked for a better family. Or a better boyfriend. Or a better life.

Charlie asked a question that only Darcy and Eli caught.

"I like that song they always play at graduation. You know, the one they played while you guys were walking out." She looked to Jamie for the answer to her question as she asked, "What's that song called? Pride and Prejudice?"

Darcy and Eli were the ones to answer her question and did so in unison.

"Pomp and Circumstance."

THE END

Acknowledgements:

First of all, I have to acknowledge you, the reader. Everyone who has read this book and loved it and enjoyed all my little references, thank you. Thank you so much. It warms my heart that there are people out there who love this book as much as I do. Thank you for reading, commenting, voting. I really appreciate it. ❤️

Okay the next two things I want to acknowledge need a little backstory first.

To be completely honest, this past spring, I dealt with some very serious health issues. I've struggled with my health for years and this spring saw me at one of my lowest points. I was drained mentally, emotionally, and physically. Even the idea of writing wasn't possible for a very long time.

The second thing I need to be completely honest about is the fact that much of what Darcy struggles with in this book is a very accurate representation of things I struggled with for years.

For years, I could not accept that the people around me loved me. And it took a very long time for my walls to come down low enough to see that I was loved, that I wasn't alone, that the people around me cared about me.

And I could not have gone through these two experiences without the two most important things in my life: my faith in God and my family.

They were what got me through. Knowing that God is in control gave me peace when my health was breaking down. Knowing that God had put such a wonderful and supportive family in my life finally opened my eyes to the love surrounding me, knowing that it was God's love shown through the people I loved.

I wouldn't be here today if weren't for God and for my family. And I certainly wouldn't have written a story I am so proud of, a story that came together so fast and so cohesively, a story that so perfectly illustrated my own personal struggles and I how I grew through them.

So to God I say thank you. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for sending your Son to die on the cross for my sins.

Thank you for giving me the gift of writing. And thank you for giving me my wonderful family.

All the praise and glory be to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Acts 16:30-31 KJV
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.