My eyes close, and my heart lifts. I press my lips to hers, before scooping her up and kissing her with all the conviction of someone who’s already chosen forever. She wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, and she kisses me back in perfect agreement.
48
chloe
“The table is gorgeous, Chloe.”Monica pats my shoulder with a smile as she slides behind my chair.
I run a hand over the table cloth I picked out specially for today; the blue florals match the flowers arranged in the centerpiece. Even the twenty-four mini Danish pastries I spent all morning making match, filled with blueberry jam, just the way Maverick insisted.
“How do you like your coffee, Rosie girl?” Savannah asks, reaching for a mug and the thermal pitcher.
“Like your attitude.” Rosie bites into a scone, sending little crumbs everywhere, and Savannah looks at me from across the table. “Dark.”
Savannah’s mouth drops and I cover my laugh with my hand.
“Well, I’m glad you're feeling better,” Savannah says, pouring the coffee and handing it to her. “I would hate for you to have missed an opportunity to roast me.”
Rosie smiles, taking the cup and then leans her head toward Savanah, who folds like a flower, wrapping her arm around the woman and squeezes her just enough.
Never one to miss an opportunity, I pull out my Polaroid,snapping a picture before either of my feisty friends can object.
My lips tug up as I set the photo down, watching and waiting for it to develop. Movement from the backdoor catches my eye, and I look up to find Maverick flanked by Noah and Silas on either side of him. Noah smiles and waves at everyone in the banquet room, looking like the star he is, but for me, it’s all eyes on Maverick. He makes his way to the middle of the table, drops a kiss to the top of my head, and then sits down beside me.
“Chloe baby, you’ve out done yourself,” he says looking down the table. “I know William would have loved this.”
I look around the table at our friends that came to support us, at Monica and Rosie, and even the other volunteers, and while I can’t say for certain that William wouldn’t have rolled his eyes at us making such a fuss over him, I know he would understand it’s all out of love.
From beside me, Maverick clears his throat. “First of all, I want to thank you all for coming today, your support means everything.” He pauses, rubbing a hand over his mouth, and I place a hand on his thigh as a quiet weight of encouragement.
“When I started volunteering at Creekside, one of the first things Monica told me was that I might make a friend.” He raises his coffee mug to Monica and she smiles with a nod. “I couldn’t have imagined that I would meet someone like William who became more than a friend, he changed me.”
“It’s no secret that he meant a lot to me, and I’m going to miss him every day, but I’ll also carry a piece of him with me.” He pats his chest, where I know his new necklace hangs beneath his shirt. “And I’m going to live a life that I know would make him proud.” He reaches for the blueberry danish and raises it to the table. “So, here's to Willie.”
We all grab a pastry or raise a coffee mug and echo his sentiments, “To Willie.”
Maverick takes a bite, cringes as he chews it, and then forcefully swallows.
“You did so good.” I kiss his cheek and he turns to face me.
“With the speech or the fruit dessert?”
“Both,” I say with a laugh.
The conversation drifts, laughter rolling between bites as everyone enjoys the spread. I keep one eye on Savannah and Rosie, half expecting some sort of chaos, but for once, they both behave.
“Coop, I heard you have enough credits to graduate early?” Noah asks, buttering a biscuit.
“What?” Rosie squeals. “I just started working on your graduation quilt! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Maverick drops his arm around the back of my chair, twisting his lips to hide his smile.
“Because I’m not graduating yet,” I tell her.
Noah sends an accusatory glare at Savannah who just shrugs. “I said shecouldgraduate, you’re the one that assumed shewould.” She takes a sip of her coffee and everyone looks at each other and then to me.
“I do have enough credits to graduate right now,” I confirm. “But I’ve decided to stay and finish the last semester so I can walk with all of you.”
“Aw, you’re such a softy.” Noah smiles that big dimpled grin of his before tossing a grape into his mouth.
