Keepsake

Chapter 24

Marcus Evers

One Year Later

I was up early this morning with a good reason for it. From my pillow, my eyes watch the sun rise from the horizon and make its ascend toward the center of the sky. A blaze of light and fire seems to burst from its core. It comes through my window and lights the room up creating shapes on the walls from the curtains.

I am the first in the kitchen and I start making breakfast. My parents were still asleep upstairs and I wasn't going to wait on them. I make an extra two plates and set them in the microwave with a note so they would find it.

In a matter of minutes I was showered, dressed and trying to get in touch with Alysia.

She answers her phone. "Hey, Marcus. I can't believe you're awake at this time," she sounded groggy.

"How'd you sleep?" I ask.

She sighed. "I'm lying in bed, still. I'm having trouble getting out."

I laugh. "Just think 'Today is my graduation and I have to be there for my friends and family. If I'm not, they are going to kick my butt.' That aught to do it."

She moans over the phone as though she were stretching. "I wish you were here."

"Me to. Now get up and get ready, little girl."

She yawns. "I'm awake."

We hang up.

My mother comes downstairs. She obviously didn't put any time into getting ready for today's event from the way she's dressed. I greet her and let her know that there's breakfast and coffee ready to go. With a surprised look on her face, she warms up the food and serves herself coffee.

Michael comes down with his hair still in a mess. "Good morning, Marcus," he says. "What are you smiling about?"

I laugh out loud. "You couldn't comb that before coming down?"

"Hey, women love all natural. You'll learn that when you get older." He pours coffee and starts running his fingers through his hair to try and fix it.

"What kind of women are you talking about, because I don't know any who would find such a hideous beast so attractive." I let out a huge laugh. "Be ready, you two. We've got to get to the graduation early so we can get good seats," I give my parents a heads up. "No excuses, okay?"

I go upstairs and grab my car keys. There's a gift shop a bit down the road that I want to check out. I know that I can go for the obvious gift of flowers and a congratulation card, but I want to be a little more personal with my gift giving. I pull up to the shop, and with a little while of walking around, I get the flowers, the card, and one more thing. Something that Alysia promised she'd get around to doing, but hadn't.

There's only a couple of short hours before we have to be at the college to get good seats. I planned on going there ahead of everyone else and save seats for them. Maybe there was a reserved section for relatives of the grads.

***

I arrive at the college and park at the student parking. The place has a lot of people arriving and going inside through the main entrance. As I shuffle in among the crowd I see Lawrence and Pamela. They're ahead talking with Linda and Mike whom had graduated already and were here to see Alysia. I catch up to them and joke among them as we enter and find some seats. I want to find Alysia, but they tell me that she's already in the back getting ready.

Linda sits. "I got together with Alysia this morning and helped her pick out something to wear."

"Why?" I ask. "She didn't have to get all dressed up today."