Sabine stood back allowing his loved ones to congratulate and smother the first person in their family to graduate college.
“Go hug your man girl!” Terri nudged Sabine.
They had welcomed her with open arms over the past several months and everything she knew about family had been disproven by being around them. Circumstances didn’t stop their love and loyalty to one another.
“Congratulations,” Sabine said, having to stand on her tippy toes even in heels. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you, baby,” Adair lifted her off her feet swinging her around. “We did it!”
Sabine loved how ever since they met it was always “we” and “us.” Adair had big plans before they met and adjusted them to include her in every single one of them.
They engaged in a passionate kiss right in the center of all the graduation mayhem. Neither could hear any of the noise within each other’s embrace.
“Alright now, cut that shit out!” Pam swatted Sabine’s behind with her ceremony pamphlet.
“We’ll meet y’all at the restaurant, Ma.”
“No stoppin’ for hanky panky,” she warned them. “You got family waiting to celebrate you boy.”
“Okay, momma...”
Sabine snickered as Adair led her to his car. He was on the phone most of the ride, receiving call after call congratulating him. Many of them saying how he made it out and warning him to keep his head on straight.
“Why do they keep saying you’re the one?” Sabine asked, after he’d finished up a call.
Adair smiled, grabbing her hand, giving it a soft kiss. “Where I’m from, going to college not really the goal, surviving is. I’m sure you saw that when I took you there. I could’ve got sucked in, I almost did to be honest, but I had people in my corner making sure I made school a priority. So, when they saying I made it out and calling me the one, it just means I walked across that stage carrying an entire community on back. I’m bringing one home, and I won’t ever forget where I come from.”
“That’s…that’s incredibly honorable and sweet, Adair.”
“It’s just what it is and I’m not ashamed of it.”
“As you shouldn’t be…”
They arrived at the restaurant hand in hand—entering to cheers, streamers, balloons and music. Pam had rented out the place for a celebration and it seemed as if everyone Adair knew was in attendance.
Eventually they’d gotten split up, so Sabine sat at one of the tables while watching him own the room. Adair had such a big heart, and you could tell it was pure because he received so much love in return.
“Hey bitch!” Adair’s cousin, Reeka greeted her with a hug.
“Hi…”
“You alright? Why you sittin’ all by yourself?”
“Oh…I’m just chilling.” Sabine never intentionally excluded herself however, in the past, being in crowds of people ever since she was a child, meeting strangers, being coached and pushed into the limelight—center of attention, it all kind of forced her to introversion.
“Sabine,” Reeka laughed. “You so funny.”
CLINK! CLINK! CLINK!”
“I wanna make a toast,” Adair announced.
“Ooh, girl,” Reeka grabbed Sabine’s hand nearly dragging her to the front. “Let’s go see what your man talkin’ bout.”
“First off, thank y’all for coming out to celebrate me man, this…it mean the world.”
“Cause we love you baby!” Pam shouted.
“And I love y’all too, forreal…everybody in this room know what it took for me to get here and…” Adair coughed, trying to keep his emotions from coming to the surface. “As far as I go, I’ll never forget where I came from. Any open cases…” he started making everyone laugh. It was a running joke that he’d work pro bono for them when he passed the bar. “For real though, from the bottom of my heart, I love y’all.”