“Thanks, Adam,” I responded, barely able to say the words out loud from the unyielding constriction of his hug.
Adam released me, only for my father to immediately catch me in his own grasp. I felt his strong arms wrap around me as his warm breath tickled my ear. “Congratulations, my beautiful girl. Your mother and I are unbelievably proud.”
I felt my mother wrap her own arms around both of us, sighing into our group huddle. “So proud, dear.” I could tell by her rapid intake of breath that she was fighting tears welling in her own eyes, as well.
With a final squeeze, my parents released me. It was then that I noticed Logan standing in front of me, a cluster of white lilies clutched in his hand. As he approached me, I couldn’t help but feel swallowed by the large form of his body, and as he pulled me into a light embrace, the smell of cedar and citrus filled the air around me.
“Congratulations, Mills,” he murmured softly in my ear, sending a chill up my spine. He pulled away and replaced the space between us with the bouquet of flowers. Their blooms were larger than my hand, light orange pollen dusting their centers.
“They’re gorgeous, Logan.” I looked up at him as I took them. “Thank you so much.” A new wave of tears burned in the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over.
He threw me that delicious, lazy grin again, and I had to workveryhard to keep my thoughts from going back to places that they shouldn’t.
My father clapped his hands together firmly as he took in the crowds around us. “Alright—getting out of here is going to take some collective patience, but we better get a move on. Who’s hungry?” He turned and began walking toward the parking lot, affectionately pulling my mother under his arm. Adam, Logan and I trailed after them.
“So, what’s next?” Adam asked, as we stepped back onto the concrete of the outer concourse.
“I have a few interviews with marketing firms in the city that have new graduate programs, so I’m hopeful that I’ll have a job landed pretty soon. I might move back in with Mom and Dad for a few months while I save for my own place.” After living with various roommates all throughout college, I was looking forward to getting out on my own.
I heard Adam whistle beside me. “Smart girl. Save money while you can,” he replied, sounding just like our father.
“You’re not even going to celebrate?” Logan asked, looking over at me.
“Celebrate graduating?”
“Yeah. You can’t just go right into work—you’ll have work for the rest of your life.”
“Well . . .” I started, staring down at the beautiful flowers in my hand. “Mackenzie actually called me yesterday about a graduation trip to Cabo—I guess a few people are pitching in to rent a house on the beach. I was thinking about going but, I don’t know . . . I’ve never been out of the country before.”
When I didn’t hear either of them respond, I looked up to find Adam looking wide-eyed at Logan over my head. I turned to look at Logan, who had a huge smile on his face as he looked back at Adam.
“What?” I asked, looking back and forth between them, feeling uneasy at the look on their faces.
“CABO!” they both yelled, high-fiving each other right over my head.
“Oh my god, you guys are so embarrassing.” I shook my head, facing forward as we made our way into the expansive parking lot.
In front of us, my mother turned around from under my father’s arm with a curious look on her face. “What are you kids yelling about?”
I had just opened my mouth to answer, but Adam beat me to it. “Amelia is going to Mexico, and I think it’s imperative that Logan and I go with her to . . . look out for her safety.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh come on, I don’t need babysitters. I’m a grown adult.”
“It’s a foreign country, Millie. It would be wrong of usnotto accompany you on such a big adventure,” Logan argued, his eyes twinkling with wicked delight.
As we reached my parents’ SUV, my father turned around to look at all three of us before zoning in on me. “Amelia, you’re going to Mexico?” His eyebrows were furrowed, as if he was attempting to diagnose a complex neurological disease.
I sighed. “Mackenzie invited me to Cabo on a graduation trip with a small group of people. I haven’t decided anything yet, and I shouldn’t have opened my mouth in front of these losers.”
“Well, if you do end up going, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to have your brother and Logan around with you. It would certainly make your mother and I feel better.”
“Dad, I’m twenty-two years old. I can handle a vacation with my friends.”
Adam stepped in front of me and grabbed my shoulders. “I’ll buy you all of your drinks for the entire trip.”
That definitely perked my ears up. “Everydrink?”
He nodded enthusiastically.
