Before the Rain

Epilogue

"Cal! Get over here and take another picture with me!" Adam shouts from across the green courtyard.

The air was just about too humid for any kind of positive response out of myself, yet I was still here, smiling for every goddamn picture.

"Fine," I comply, weakly attempting to hide my disdain for the millions of photos I was forced to be in.

I pulled my gown up over the damp grass as I made my way through the class of other students talking amongst themselves.

"I'm here," I say as if it were obvious (in which it was).

He grins, "Great! Get close to me like you like me and smile."

I sigh in a sardonic way and shift closer towards him, "We have an abundance of photos just like this one."

"Oh yeah? Then how about this."

He lifts my leg up against the side of his hip and tips my torso downwards leaning in to press a sloppy kiss against my lips.

"Kay done," Mike announces, assuming the photo was taken.

I roll my eyes playfully after he pulls away, "Really?"

"You said they all looked the same! Now we'll have a memorable graduation photo of me kissing you to hang up over our bed," he pecks my forehead quickly before making conversation somewhere else.

I shake my head after him before picking my cap up off of the ground, "We are not hanging that over the bed."

My parents approach myself a couple moments afterwards to say their final farewells.

"So," my mother begins, "You'll be working at the same place? Won't that get complicated?"

"We will not see each other that often in the clinic, we work in separate wings," I tell them in confidence.

"Oh alright. Well, make sure to visit often, okay? And if he ever proposes, make sure and invite us to the wedding," she giggles.

"I doubt that will happen. But if so, I will definitely invite you, alright?" I promise, a presence of hope in my voice.

She nods, "We love you Cal."

My father wipes his eyes momentarily, "I'm getting kinda choked up right now, sorry. But yes, we love you so much, we're so lucky to have you as a soon. And if Adam ever hurts you-"

I interrupt him, "I think I can handle him, okay? I love you too, have a safe ride home."

I watch as they make their way back towards their car, my mother looking behind her shoulder at me at least four times before finally deciding to let her only son off into the real world.

After coming away from all of the self-loathe and death, I am finally able to control my emotions and find the important aspects in life. With my focus now on helping others with the same condemning problems I once was suffering from, I am free of the awful depression that once consumed my life. That, and I was starting a new one with Adam, after moving in with him my sophomore year of college.

I was hoping to spend a great amount of time, if not all of it, around himself due to his never ending jovial nature. He just cares so fucking much about me, how could I not want to always be around him?

Speaking of which, he approaches myself, "Hey, you ready to go?"

"Yes, I want to go back to the apartment and spend some much needed alone time with you," I say, my gaze completely focused on his.

His kisses the side of my forehead, "That sounds amazing, let's go home."