Page 112 of Surviving Lies

“Hey babe, do you have your clothes ready for your ceremony tonight?” Ty asked. He had come over after his classes were done for dinner, a common occurrence for our “new normal.”

Ava came waltzing into the kitchen, checking out what I had in the pots on the stove. She loved that I enjoyed cooking for Ty because she and Macie reaped the benefits of my dinners as well.

“Ya know, we’re coming tonight, too, Bec,” she announced.

“You are?” I was stunned. I had no idea Ava and Macie even knew about the award I was receiving from my business organization. “Why does everyone feel the need to be there tonight? Christ on a cracker, I don’t need this much attention, guys.”

Ava gave me a side hug as I stirred the sauce. “I like this feisty Becca,. Where has she been hiding?”

“I’ve been here all along, girl. Just needed to find my way out of the fog,” I said as I leaned my head down onto her shoulder, and she squeezed me tighter. I smiled at Ty, letting him know I was in a good place.

I loved that we were getting closer. Each night that I wasn’t with Ty, she and I would fall asleep together watching TV or talking.

She took the spoon out of my hand and tasted the sauce. “Oh my God, this is amazing. Where did you learn to cook, Bec?” Throwing the spoon in the sink, she grabbed another from the drawer for me.

“She grew up in a large family,” Ty offered. “She cooked for her brothers a lot.” He looked over at me with affection and understanding, knowing that I had come to actually miss my family, at times, recently.

“I know all about her crazy younger brothers. I have younger brothers too. Didn’t make me a chef.” She pulled open a cabinet and started taking bowls out to set the table for dinner. “Will Macie be eating?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you text her?” I said. “And yes, Ty, to answer your question, my clothes are all pressed and ready to go upstairs. I’m wearing that red suit you like on me so much. After we eat, we should probably head up so I can get ready.”

Macie came strolling down the stairs, and the four of us ate a meal together.

A new normal.

The auditorium was buzzing with people by the time we arrived, making me more nervous than I already was. Ty already had a hold of my hand, and he squeezed it tighter, knowing I was anxious about what I needed to do tonight. But I was ready; I had practiced a ton in front of the mirror.

“Good luck with your speech, babe,” he whispered into my ear as he pulled me close. “I’m so proud of you, Ms. President.”

His tender kiss on my temple sent shivers through my whole body. He wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me close to his body, so I know he felt it.

“Thank you,” I whispered back. I was thrilled to have him here by my side and hated that I was going to have to leave him to go backstage. My eyes darted around, scanning the crowd for my advisor, hoping to find her so I wouldn’t be alone once I got back there. Ty picked up on my nerves.

“You OK?”

“Yeah, just, um, what if I mess up?” I asked. As I looked up at him, his tender eyes came to down to my level. He was about to speak when we were interrupted by a boisterous crowd.

“Becca!”

“Bec!”

It was Lanie, Xander, Ava, Macie, Jake, and Kayla.

They had all come to see me.

I couldn’t believe the amount of support I was receiving from my friends. It could have made me more nervous, afraid to make a mistake in front of all of them. Instead, it made me feel ... loved. Even with Kayla here.

Then my phone pinged.

Mom:

Hey Becca, sorry we couldn’t make it tonight, the twins have a basketball game otherwise we would have made the trek. Good luck babe, we are so proud of you! Dad sends a kiss.

“What is it, babe?” Ty asked.

I didn’t answer right away, my throat clogged with emotion. Lanie had come to me, her arms around me in a tight squeeze. My arms went around her as my eyes remained on Ty, his knowing smile moving from me to the crowd of our friends surrounding us. As Lanie retreated into the group, Ty asked me again about my text.

“Everything OK on the phone?”

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