Love Eternal

Chapter 14

I didn't understand why the school waited until the first week of July to hold Graduation, but I couldn't complain. The weather was hot and perfect. But there was one more thing to make it perfect.

I passed and I was graduating!

Lissa was giddy all morning when the six of us met up for breakfast. It was something that Mia, Lissa, Eddie, Mason and I promised each other we would do, and now we had invited Christian. Christian seemed hesitant to join us, but I encouraged him. Even though I wasn't crazy about him, he was right. In some weird, twisted way he and I were family. We belonged to the same coven, and we understand each other in a way our friends didn't.

I was happy that both my parents managed to be home for my graduation. Baba said that he wouldn't miss it for the world, and Mom said she pulled a lot of strings to make sure she was here. It made me feel like I was at the forefront of their minds for once.

I took the opportunity to dress up too. The night was about me and my friends. I went with Lissa to get my hair done too. I didn't like spending money like that often, but when Lissa insisted, I did it. Our prom got cancelled last minute because the venue flooded, and we couldn't get another one on short notice. So we didn't get to do our hair for that.

I let her talk me into getting some red highlights added to my hair and cleaned it up. I even paid ridiculous money to have a treatment done to condition it. Once that was done and my hair was styled, I had to admit, if it wasn't so expensive, I'd get it done more often. My curls looked healthy and perfect.

When I got home I was surprised with a vase full of Lenten Roses. It was one of the only rose flowers I liked, mostly because I loved how attached to them Baba was. When he lived in Turkey, his mother would plant them in their garden. I rubbed a petal between my fingers and spotted the rectangular box next to the vase.

I picked it up and turned it, hearing something sliding around in the box.

"I was hoping you'd like to open that before we left," Mom said as she came up behind me. I turned and smiled at her, noticing that she was dressed in a pretty but business-style dress.

"Should I open it now or after I get dressed?" I asked.

"Maybe get dressed first? That way we will be ready to leave afterwards."

I nodded and set the box back on the counter and slipped past Mom to head upstairs. Because of how hot it was outside, I went for a lighter dress, but still dressy. I went with a pretty lilac colour that was similar to my ruined bathing suit. Mostly because the colour worked so well with my skin.

I deemed myself presentable and headed downstairs, smiling at my parents as I came down. Baba was dressed too, one of his ugly cashmere scarfs wrapped around his neck and a fedora on his head.

"You look dapper," I said and hugged him back when he hugged me.

"Gotta look good on my girl's big day," he chuckled in my ear.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I wouldn't call it my 'big day', but thank you," I said and kissed his cheek. I walked back to the counter and picked up the box again, looking at my parents.

"You didn't need to buy me a gift," I said quietly. Mom went and stood next to Baba and he wrapped his arm around his waist, a smile on both of their faces.

"We think you'll like this," Mom said, "Besides, I have a contact who was more than happy to help me with these."

I grinned and opened it, finding two rectangular pieces of thick paper. I picked them up and flipped them, reading them over as my parents watched me expectantly.