Royally Normal

33

Watching Cole walk across the stage to get his JD didn't even feel real.

We'd come a long way in the past three years.

I graduated from USC two years ago and landed a marketing job at an advertising company in downtown LA. Jaidyn moved to Portland for her new job.

Which meant that I was out of a roommate.

Cole was finishing up his first year of law school, and it only felt right that we moved in with each other. We got a nice one-bedroom high rise that wasn't too far from USC or my job. Cole was working as a legal secretary for a law office.

He handled work and school beautifully.

And you know, we got a dog just like he planned.

Our dog's name was Koda and he was the sweetest Pitbull that we rescued from the shelter. We were so lucky that he came into our lives.

Koda was everything we needed to keep us balanced.

We loved taking him to the beach, on hikes, and rides in the car.

The three of us were the perfect little family.

I was happy.

I visited my family in England now and then, they visited me in the states, and I actually loved my job and co-workers.

And now we were here, Cole's law school graduation.

After long hours of studying for the bar, he finally did it.

I was extremely proud of him.

"Nathaniel Colton Fitzgerald." The announcer's voice boomed over the speakers.

All of us roared.

If he wasn't embarrassed then we weren't loud enough.

Of course, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald threw another big graduation party at their house in Beverly Hills. Peyton loved a good balloon arch and floral arrangement.

"See your Uncle Coco, Gem?" Sammy held his eight-month niece.

Uncle Coco was Cole's name and I was Aunt AiAi. We figured Cole and Aiyla would be hard for a baby to learn.

Cole, Sammy, Annie, and Stella made a bet if Peyton and Parker would be grandparents before they hit fifty.

Everyone said no except Cole.

Since he won, he got a hundred dollars from each sibling and he got to help name the baby.

They named her Gemma Eliza Anwar.

Of course, Eliza was for her grandmother Elizabeth.

She was super cute and now that Annie lived in LA, we babysat a lot. Annie worked at the Fitzgerald industries in LA while her baby brother worked at the one in New York City.

It was crazy that the Fitzgerald children were equally divided between two schools.

Annie and Cole went to USC while Sammy and Stella went to Columbia.

Sammy was doing amazing in life.

He would always be one of my best friends and I was always so proud of him. I knew Sammy and Annie would be amazing co-CEOs when the time came along.

He was seeing a new girl who I liked and approved.

Estella, the youngest of the bunch, was at Columbia enjoying her life. She was majoring in biology with dreams of being an OBGYN.

My second parents did a lot of traveling around the world now that they were empty nesters.

"Ask him if there's a ring in his pocket, Gem." Sammy joked.