by Laine Watson
“I wouldn’t miss this, Max. Not at all.” My mother sniffles.
I glance up at Haru as he picks up the rings and the pillow. No one remembered to cover my face with the veil.
“Okay, Max.” My mother whispers, “Go get back in place.”
“Okay. Sorry.” He stares at me, “Sorry, Mom.”
“It’s fine.” I smile watching Max run back up to the front of the room and take the pillow and rings from Haru. Haru pats him on the back and kisses him on his forehead, and Max gets back into place.
I have no more jitters, I’m not tense. I’m so ready to get up there, marry Haru, and kiss him. I just want to kiss him.
“C’mon sweetie,” my mother says, stepping beside me, latching her arm around mine, “You can’t keep them waiting.”
My eyes widen. My feet won’t move.
“Sweetheart?” my mother calls to me.
Sweetheart?
I gaze at Haru as the usher urges us to move forward. Finally, my feet move. My mother and I walk down the aisle, the soft orchestra music filling up the room.
Once we reach the altar, my mother sits in her designated seat, and I stand before Haru. Max’s eyes are on her, his smile is so big. Even if she hadn’t come for me, if she only came for Max, I may not have been completely happy, she’d be there. The fact that she’s there for our family, because she came for us all—for me, for Max, for Haru, makes it even more special.
It’s happening. We’ll say our vows and kiss in front of Max, his parents, my mother, everyone important to us.
Finally, we’ll be an actual family.
Chapter Thirty-Four: Graduation
I made it. I am graduating today. As I walk across the stage and the dean hands me my diploma, I’m not thinking about how old I am. I’m thinking: I did it. Finally.
This day is so much more meaningful than me graduating from college. I’m married. My mother and I are friends. I graduated to another stage in my life. After finishing my internship on a pleasant note, graduating with honors, and still being able to run a decent household, nothing is more satisfying than feeling like you are enough. Sometimes that doesn’t mean getting rid of people or leaving them behind it means standing up for yourself, believing in yourself, loving yourself. Even if I never went back to Haru, if my mother and I never would see eye to eye, I know now I could still make it. I’m happy that I can have them in my life, though.
I shake the dean’s hand and wave to my family: Haru, his parents, Darby, Hayden, Haru, Max, and my mom.
A quaint smirk appears on my mother’s face. She nods with a proud smile.
That’s enough. It’s more than I’ve ever gotten from her in the way of admiration. I stare at her, and her eyes veer to her left, averting her eyes not to be too sentimental, I’m sure. That’s just fine with me. I can respect who she is, if she can respect who I am.
We move those tassels to the side and toss those caps in the air and we’re graduates. Everyone is hugging each other. I feel left out. I went to school online, so I don’t know anybody, but I turn around and Haru and Max are standing beside us waiting for me, excited along with Darby, Hayden, and even my mom. As I head toward them Max runs straight for me and hugs me, I pick him up and hug him so tight. We all hug and my life is complete. There’s only one thing I need to do.
*
We’re having a big party at Haru’s parents’ house. I’m on pins and needles waiting to see if my mother will come.
“Princess, what are you doing?” Haru asks, stepping into the living room. Everyone is in the backyard. “This is your party. You’re not going to participate?”
I turn back toward him. “Sorry.”
He slides his hands into his pockets. His muscles, visible through his light blue fitted collar shirt. The insides of his cuffs are checkered, like the inside of his collar. He has them flipped up, exposing his sleek and sexy wristwatch and tattoos.
“Are you going to stare out the window the whole time? She’s coming. Everything has been good. She comes once a month, and we have dinner, right here, regularly. She wouldn’t miss this,” he assures me, placing his lips on me and calming my nerves.
“I know. It’s just been twenty minutes.”
“She may have gotten lost.”
I sigh heavily.
“Should I call her?”
“It’s fine. Let’s have some cake. She’ll be here, and you can tell her.”
I nod with a smile.
Haru walks me to the deck and waits while I sit down under the umbrella of the table.
“Do you want something to eat?” he asks.
“Sure, no meat, though. It’s been making me sick.”
“Okay. Broccoli and whatever else that’s not meat. Pasta?”
“Mm, pasta. Yeah, a lot of that.”
“There’s macaroni salad.”
“Yeah, I want that.”
“On it.” Haru heads to the kitchen.
I smile as Darby and I make eye contact. She comes around the table, holding two glasses of wine and sits on the side of me.
“This one’s for you, college graduate.” She places the glass in front of me.
“Oh, no, thank you.” I smile. “I haven’t eaten anything.”
“All right. I’ll drink them both.” She takes a sip of my drink. “You look really happy today. You have this glow. It means a lot to you, doesn’t it; that your mom came to the graduation?”
“It does. Her being a part of the family is still new. I always think one day she’s not going to show up to our monthly dinners, or she won’t show up for Max’s birthday or... I don’t know.”
“Things have changed,” Darby says, kindly lowering her eyes. She peers down into her lap, her hands folded.
I stare at her, observing her beauty. While doing so, I notice a ring on her finger.
“Um, what’s that doing there?” I ask, snatching her hand toward my face so I can get a closer look.
She laughs, gushing with illuminating light. I didn’t want to say anything. Hayden asked me to marry him last night.”
“Last night? We all were together last night.”
“Yeah, but you and Arima were...”
“Right, right, right...”
“Busy.” She giggles.
“Does anyone else know?” I ask.
“Just you guys. We were going to hold off until after your graduation. We don’t want to steal your moment, especially with your mom being here and stuff. It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s a huge deal. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“When?”
“Not for a while. I don’t want to rush.”
I sigh and stare out into the grass where Max plays with some of his friends from school. We lock eyes for a moment. He stops and runs to the deck.
“Mom!” he says. “You don’t have to go to school anymore, right?”
“Well, now I work at a school. A high school. So, technically, I still have to go to school, but I’ll be helping kids.”
“Like with their homework and stuff?”
“Um, not quite. I’ll be helping them choose colleges and find out what they want to be when they grow up, or talk about something that might be hard to talk about with other people.”
“Oh,” he nods, “I think you’ll be good at that.”
“Thanks, Max.” I smile, affectionately.
“Okay, I’ll be back.” He runs down the steps.
I giggle as he heads back to play.
“He’s such a cute kid,” Darby says.
I try to get a glimpse inside the house, looking for my mother.
“He is. Adorable.” I say, anxiously.
I see someone walking through the house, and I rise to my feet as they step into view. My breath fizzles out in a sigh of disappointing relief.
“Miako. You came! Thank you,” I say, tiptoeing cutely over to her to hug her. There is still a bit of tension lingering through me.
“Of course! C
ongratulations. This is for you.” She hands me a paisley pink bag.
“Oh, thank you. You didn’t need to bring anything.”
“It’s okay, I wanted to! It’s the least I could do for not making it to the graduation.” She kisses my cheek. “Now, where is that handsome grandson of mine?”
“Over there.” I point toward the grass. “Playing with some of his playdate buddies.”
“I think I’ll go give him a hug, embarrass him a little.”
I giggle.
“Okay.” I watch her slowly make her way down the stairs. “There’s lots of food, so whenever you’re hungry, you’re welcomed to it.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” She smiles back at me.
I sit down and put my present on the wooden panels underneath me.
Darby nods sincerely. “That’s so awesome, she came. You’re a good mom.”
“I hope I always am. Max is a good kid.” I stare at her, secret words on the tip of my tongue. I part my lips. The moment is perfect and sentimental.
“Princess?” Haru interrupts it.
I glance up at him, and he’s holding a plate of colorful pasta. “Is this okay?” He places it in front of me and hands me a plastic fork.
“This is perfect. It looks delicious.” I dig in.
“You want something to drink. Juice, water?”
“I want some juice, please.”
“I’ll get it.”
“He’s being unusually kind,” Darby notes.
I roll my eyes at her playfully. “I like how he’s acting. I feel like I’m the queen, and he bows at my feet. I am mother nature; he has to worship me.” I laugh. “I am the goddess of Summer.” Our smiles become sentimental as we stare at each other. “When we first met, you called me ‘young goddess.’”
“It’s fitting. You are.”
“So are you,” I say, tearing up. “You’re the only person who has ever sincerely wanted to be my friend. You’ve always told the truth to me; you’ve always been there when I needed you. You’ve protected me. You’ve been a really good friend.”
“You have been probably the biggest pain in the ass I’ve ever encountered. You’re whiny and insecure, but you’re strong and kind, loving and... my best friend. I hope we can be old married couples, still talking shit to each other.” A tear, a single tear, falls from Darby’s eyes. I gasp quietly in awe. I giggle right after.
“I love you. I don’t know a lot about Hayden, but I’m sure he’s a good guy. I look forward to getting to know him and all of us growing old together.”
“Here you go, princess.” Haru appears at my side and sits on the bench connected to the deck.
“Thank you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, as I’m about to turn around, I see a floral pencil dress, brown beautiful skin her cheeks with a cool, jewel-like undertones, natural black coils twisted out into a stunning style, and plum, perfectly applied lipstick.
A rush of adrenaline courses through my body, and I try to stand up.
“Mom?” I mutter.
“Oh, don’t get up. I’ll come to you.” She heads over to us. She smiles, staring to my right. “Darby,” she greets.
“Ms. Vaughn.” Darby wears a patronizing smirk.
“Nice ring.” My mother smirks.
“Thank you.” Darby pulls her hands under the table and her cheeks turn red, the condescending expression she once wore, gone.
“Haruki.” My mother nods.
“Appreciate you no longer referring to me as Mr. Arima. Every time I hear it, makes me smile.”
“Summer, you looked beautiful, your hair could have—”
“Ms. Vaughn!” Haru calls, a chastising look in his eyes.
My mother swallows whatever she is about to say and extends her hand in front of her. She folds them at her lap and sits with me.
“What about my hair?” I eye Haru, so he doesn’t stop her from saying whatever critique she was going to.
“Nothing. It’s perfect.”
“No, tell me.”
“It’s really long, Summer. And big.”
“It’s only for today. I like it like that.”
She smiles. “It really is beautiful.”
I get lost in her eyes, in her smile, and her compliments. I can do little else but smile girlishly.
“Princess,” Haru snaps us out of our mother-daughter moment. “Don’t you have something to tell your mother?”
“Oh, right.” I turn toward her. Hmm, I dart my eyes at Haru with a mischievous smirk. He looks like he’s on pins and needles. I know he wants me to tell her so bad. I’m going to stall. “Mom.” I glance quickly at Haru, his hands balled tightly in fists in front of him, “We went ahead with Max’s screening. It’s in September. We’re proud of him.” I smile innocently.
“Oh, that’s amazing!” my mother says. “Where is Max?”
“He’s playing with some friends.” I smile at Haru.
He frowns and tilts his head toward me.
“Eh, come on Darby, let’s go see what Hayden’s up to.”
Haru kisses me on my neck, and he whispers in my ear, “You did that on purpose.”
Our eyes lock, and I smile teasingly at him. He winks at me.
Darby almost rolls her eyes, but she catches on after a moment. Haru and Darby leave the deck. My mother and I are the only ones there.
“What is it, Summer?”
“I want to tell you something.” A tear falls down my face. “Our life is changing.”
My mother plants her eyes right on me.
I smile and purse my lips.
With a drawn-out sigh, I announce, “I’m pregnant.”
thank you for purchasing Arima. I am extremely grateful.
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About the Author
Laine Watson writes multicultural fiction featuring young, black women who fall in love while marching to the beat of their own drums, or accordions, or maybe even a didgeridoo—much like herself. Born and raised in the Midwest, she studied creative writing at Southwestern Illinois College and performing arts at the Edwardsville Center of Performing Arts. Some of Laine’s favorite things include anime, poetic, chaotic and emotional music, dancing in the rain and skater dresses with boots.
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