"How are we feeling?"

"Like I'm going to puke." It was probably a good thing that Everleigh'd had therapy the day before. She might've opened the door to Roman's car and let traffic take her out if she hadn't.

"Hopefully you don't do it on stage."

"Thanks for that image. I hate you." Everleigh tried to run her hands through her bangs with nerves. Forgot she'd gelled it to keep it away from her face while she was reading. Damn it. At least if it was bleached, it could've been dead enough that Everleigh's tic could've come to fruition. The gel simply made her hair crackle and her fingers get stuck.

Roman laughed. Sitting Everleigh in the back seat with Navi was the first straw that broke the camel's back. The second and third and fourth were Roman's stupid ass commentary while he drove and tried to make her laugh instead of think of every way that day could go wrong. Wrong like she could trip on stage walking to the podium or ugly cry or choke on her tassel or slip up during her speech like she had that time in class when she read orgasm instead of organism and promptly dropped the class as soon as the hour was over. Maybe that was why she got delayed for her graduation.

The moment Everleigh had woken up, she felt nauseous. It was nerves, sure. The idea that the entire grad class was riding on her speech that she hoped was all right, but at least it had been approved by the Dean. She had braved a call to Maverick in hopes to catch him despite the terrible time difference between Vegas and London. Anything he could say would be better than being stuck in her own head. But, there was no answer. Straight to voicemail. Almost too fitting from someone who had texted her I'm so proud of you. Knew you could do it. Can we please talk soon? and then did not manage to speak to her for the next couple weeks.

Everleigh would've called Stevie if LA wasn't eight hours behind. A call at two in the morning with Everleigh panicking in her bathroom was embarrassing, even if it was Stevie and it was unlikely Stevie would judge her. If she'd given her more notice, maybe she could've flown Stevie over to read her speech for her. Be Taylor Swift at NYU. Everleigh would share her degree with her. Anything to keep Everleigh from barfing on stage in front of her peers, their family, her family, and the faculty.

Hell, Everleigh would've called Brendon if she could keep track of where he was in the world at any given moment. Ironic, how the turns tabled. (Christ, she missed Maverick.)

"Leigh," Florence said, "You're going to be fine."

"That's easy for you to say, you don't have to do it." Everleigh's leg needed to stop bouncing before it went straight through the bottom of Roman's car.

"You've been practicing for a solid week, and sporadically before that. I doubt you even have to look at the cue cards at this point."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"You're going to be amazing. I can't wait to hear it."

"I've already read it," Roman said. Smugly.

"You ran it past him and not me?" Florence asked.

"You mean he caught me ready to throw my laptop across my flat and took it from me so I didn't have to start over?" Everleigh asked. "Yeah."

"It's a damn good speech."

"Can't wait," Florence said. "It'll be great. I hope boy wonder knows what he's missing."

"Why the hell would Bash be missing my grad speech?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. You meant Kingston, didn't you?"

"Obviously," Florence said. "What does Brendon Ellis have to do with that?"

"It's a long story. It's... adrenaline. Well. Like an adrenaline rush. You'd probably enjoy it if we sat you down and told you about it, actually. It's kind of the greatest thing I've ever bore witness to."

"Besides. Brendon Ellis has everything to do with everything," Roman said.

"Thanks for that, hon," Florence said.

"Any time."

Navi gurgled. A reminder they loved each other or whatever. Disgusting. Everleigh kept her mouth shut on that comment. Florence and Roman had been nice enough to offer to drive her so that she didn't have to, which meant they were a little more than too early.

When Roman pulled up in front of the Apollo Theatre, he let Everleigh and Florence get out. Everleigh tried to ignore how sweaty her cue cards and palms were. Florence carefully got Navi out of the car, trying to keep her asleep as long as she could.

Roman looked at them from his seat. "I'm going to try and find parking and I'll be back."

"Parking lot's the other way." Everleigh pointed her finger.

"Well. I'm going to get your parents. Then find parking," Roman said.

"I thought they were meeting us here."

"No. Right they are," Roman said. Stumbled. "Don't stress it. I have an emergency meeting with a client. Like, they're about to jump off a bridge and I need to talk to them now."

"I—okay." Everleigh bit her lip.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, but they really need me."

"Please don't be late."

"I won't. I promise."

"I'll literally shove every single one of these cue cards up your—"

"Okay," Florence said. "Why don't you worry about getting your robe and everything in order, and I'll worry about everything else. All right?"

"Thanks, babe," Roman said.

"Get going," Florence said. "And don't be late."

"I love you," Roman said.

"I love you, too," Florence said. "Go." She looked pointedly at Everleigh. "You, get going. I don't want to see you until you're reciting your speech. Got it?"

"Yes, mum."

"Now."

The Apollo was gorgeous. Everleigh had seen Wicked with Florence there, years before. Red velvet seats, gold accents along the trims of the theatre. Bright phoenix statues facing the stage from the upper-level seats. There were enough seats to fit an armada. Like any Broadway theatre, it had a stage ready to present like its life depended on it. Everleigh only caught a glimpse of the inside before she was ushered toward the group of her classmates—barely any time to wave to Florence, who smiled at her and mouthed that she would see her inside.

They lined the graduates up outside as family's trickled in. Everyone was given their diploma or degree, in a nice folder that could be displayed if they desired, the school crest embossed with gold on the front. It was more organized than her high school graduation, that was for certain. Everyone had a role and knew it well. Professors lassoed them into place and led them down the stairs when the time was right like they'd been taught how to do it in school. (Congratulations on your PhD, let's figure out how to organize some students.) (Maybe they'd simply attended enough graduation ceremonies with their multiple degrees that they had it down to a science.)

When it was her turn to begin her descent toward her seat, Everleigh took a deep breath.

*

Roman was late.

"And now, for our valedictorian, Everleigh Meadowlark."

Everleigh could see from her spot on the podium that he wasn't there; two chairs empty beside Florence. And oddly? She was fine with it. Yes, she would've loved to have him there. But he had heard it already. The people who hadn't heard her speech were her parents and Florence. It was nice that they were there. For someone who had spent a little too much time in the last decade away from home, her time back had proven that she needed to be there. That not going to Vegas was the right choice.

Everleigh smiled at her before letting her eyes trail over her classmates. She tried to ignore the camera that Troy held up—probably a little too close to his face but that was fine—as her speech began.

"Hello, colleagues, professors, and family," Everleigh said. "Thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate and thank you for having me as your coveted rambler for the night. We did it! I want to first extend congratulations to every single one of us. Through the tears, and the exams, and the practicum, well done. Take a moment to be proud of what you've accomplished. Thank your family, blood or found, thank your professors, thank your friends, and thank yourself for making it."

The collective breath cutting through the excitement in the room was enough to calm Everleigh's nerves a little.

"With everything going on in the world, I think it's safe to say that each of us have a role to play," Everleigh said. "I know that abortions are legal here, but some of us have journeys across the sea in the future. And it may be a hard future because of this. Keep this in mind, class of 2023, access to reproductive healthcare is a right. I don't want to spend the next couple minutes preaching, but when it comes to safe access, it needs to be said. Fight the hard battles so that we can do what we were trained to do: protect people and keep them healthy. If you thought exams were hard, welcome to the fight of your lives."

Whistles and some loud applause made Everleigh's heart flutter. She tried not to smile too hard while she was still reading.

"I could stand in front of you today and say that we have the best days of our lives ahead of us. That the world is our oyster. A thousand other cliches that tell us the good in the world. I looked it up before I started writing—these speeches are supposed to be positive and hopeful." Everleigh smiled. "But I think that would ignore that sometimes the glass is half empty, too. A friend I made during practicum told me that we can't take care of other people unless we also take care of ourselves. And I think we've all had our moments where we thought that quitting was easier than proceeding. I know I did. But, we're here. We made it." Everleigh held her embossed folder with her diploma up. "They can't take this away now.

"So, here's to our last hurrah," Everleigh said. "Here's to us. We've done it. If I leave you with one thing today, please let it be this: when I used to work on airplanes, the number one rule was that if the oxygen masks dropped, you were supposed to put your own on before you helped anyone else. If you're sitting here today, I hope that your wish for the world is altruism. That you want to help. But please always remind yourself that you are important too. That you cannot help if you are not yourself."

A year ago, she wouldn't have added the last line that she did. But, fuck almighty, she was not the same person she was last December. "The time will come for us to finally win. And we'll sing hallelujah. Class of 2023, it is an honour, and a privilege, to wish you the greatest luck in all you pursue. To say that we did it. To say hallelujah. Let us raise our voices, raise our arms. You may toss your caps in three, two, one..."

The hall erupted. Too many late night study hours, too many silent lecture halls during exam week, too many tears shed over what the hell to do with a torniquet. Everleigh tossed her cap and a hand slapped her shoulder. The Dean gave her a handshake, Everleigh went for the hug. Who fucking cared?

She picked her cap from the stage where she'd tossed it, carefully put it back on her head. The black robe and yellow cord needed to be tied together with her black cap and yellow tassel, a small charm on it that read 2023. The Dean made sure her tassel was on the proper side before motioning for her to join her colleagues. They allowed the families to leave first, then students. Everleigh practically ran to the lobby to find her family—maybe smack the shit out of Roman, she hadn't planned that far ahead. They were in a corner when Everleigh finally found them.

Being buried in a hug by her sister wasn't necessarily something she was used to, but it felt nice. Welcomed, even. "I'm so proud of you, Leigh."

"Thank you."

"I forgot your flowers, I'm sorry," Florence said. "But I'll give them to you when you come for dessert."

"It's okay." Everleigh squeezed her a little tighter.

"Mind if I cut in on that hug?"

Everleigh knew that the two main reactions when faced with a situation were fight or flight. The textbooks she'd meticulously studied over the years told here there was one more: freeze. Hearing that voice made her take the third option.

Florence dropped her arms but Everleigh clung to her like a child would to their mother while frightened.

"Go on, then," Florence whispered.

Slowly, Everleigh peeled herself off Florence and turned.

He had not been standing there moments before. She would've noticed. Picked him out in the crowd like her life depended on it. A quick flick to the forearm confirmed he was actually in the building.

Everleigh's knees nearly buckled when he held her hand. "Aren't you supposed to be in Vegas?"

Maverick smiled. God, she wanted to kiss that off him. "You know, last time I was in Vegas, this beautiful woman told me she thought she loved me during her favourite band's concert. I don't think anything could top that."

"You heard that?"

He smiled wider. Everleigh couldn't process that he was real. What a little shithead.

"If I did my final tour, and I didn't have you there with me, who the hell am I to say it was even slightly worth it?"

"Oh my God, Everleigh," Roman said. She'd forgotten anyone else was there. Sunshine through a glass of whisky was all she knew, those eyes shone bright even in the ugly fluorescent lighting of the Apollo lobby. "I didn't drive two hours to London fucking Gatwick and back for you to stand there and make googly eyes at him."

That one earned Maverick a kiss. One that nearly knocked the cap off her head when she practically lunged at him, desperate to close the space before he disappeared again. His arm found her waist like it had never left. Everleigh had one hand keeping her mortarboard on her head, and one hand gripping his blazer—good God, he was dressed nicely.

When Everleigh pulled away, she was almost in tears. Because he was there and she had kissed him and by God, he was not in Nevada like he should have been and he looked damn good in a suit. (All black. Nails painted. Bleached hair. Spotless glasses. Everleigh was fucking in love.)

"Oh, look, there's cake," Florence said. Everleigh could see Florence elbow Troy out of the corner of her eye. Subtle.

Troy gave Everleigh a quick hug. "I'm so proud of you."

"You did great, sweetie," Dawn whispered, before peeling away.

The part of Everleigh that was going to spend the night with her family didn't want them to leave. The part of Everleigh that missed Maverick was thankful they were walking away for fear she might've dragged him into the gender-neutral loo and had her way with him for leaving. Like a wedding dress was not easy to navigate a bathroom in, a grad gown likely wasn't conducive to anything she wanted to do to Maverick.

Roman handed Maverick a bouquet that Everleigh hadn't noticed either. Maverick took them from him and thanked him as he started walking toward Florence and her parents.

"She's right," Maverick said, handing Everleigh the flowers. Sunflowers. Crikey, she was in love with him. "Your speech was great. And you said I was the poet."

"You—" Everleigh frowned. Breathed in her bouquet. "I didn't see you in there."

Of course she had saved him a seat. Everleigh would always save him a seat.

"We were late," Maverick said.

Everleigh put her hands on his cheeks. She felt like she didn't want to take her hands off him any time soon.

"Your dad video called me," Maverick said. "They wouldn't let us in the doors, but I got to see it anyway."

"He knows how to video call?"

"Sort of." Maverick laughed. Everleigh could've died happy after hearing that laugh in person. She wanted to hear that damn laugh for the rest of her life. "I heard the speech. The video was your dad's face cause the camera was the wrong way. But it's the thought that counts. Hearing your voice was nice."

"I can't believe you're here."

Maverick kissed her again. Quickly. "I'm sorry I got the time wrong. I wanted to be in the seat for you—"

"Was it you who said a queen was never late, everyone else was simply early?" Everleigh teased. "Or was that someone else?"

Maverick had the greatest smile in the world. How in the hell had she tried to convince herself she'd never fall for that smile? The way his eyes lit up and looked at her like she was the only person in the room, even if they were pressed up against a stupid corner because everyone and their dog had family in the lobby. It was hard to feel suffocated in a room full of people when Maverick felt like oxygen.

Everleigh took her valedictorian sash and her gold cord—four point fucking three—off from around her neck and placed it over his shoulders. She took it in her fists as he gave her a small look, an eyebrow raised. Pulling him toward her, Everleigh kissed him. Again. And again. And again. And again, before a question prickled her tongue.

"Okay—" Maverick kissed her to interrupt her. Everleigh pulled away. "But—" Again. "Kingston—"

Maverick got a hand shoved in his face for that one when he leaned in again. A laugh muffled against her palm. He pressed a kiss pressed to it right after before taking her hand in his. "Yes?"

"What happened with Vegas?"

"After all this, Everleigh Meadowlark," Maverick said, managing a laugh, "you still don't follow me on Instagram?"

Everleigh muffled a snort with her hand. "I—"

"That's fine," Maverick said, waving it off. "I like seeing you surprised better than I like seeing you when you know what's coming. I—uh—I cancelled Vegas. Between you—"

"Please don't tell me I'm the reason you said no—"

"And the albums," Maverick said. "If you'd let me finish, Meadowlark."

"Sorry."

"I—" Maverick couldn't stop smiling. Everleigh felt like she was falling in love with him all over again. Head over heels, ass over fuckin' tea kettle. "I made the announcement after Christmas. After I listened to your voicemail."

"God, that was embarrassing. We don't have to talk about that."

"Think you got something wrong, though," Maverick said.

"What's that?"

"You were never the sun," Maverick said. "Thought I specifically told you you're the moon."

"Kingston..."

"I could fly close to you all I want and those wings would never melt," Maverick said, his thumb ran along her cheek as a couple tears fell. "Especially when you help me fly."

Everleigh nearly dropped the sunflowers from Maverick when she buried him in the hug. Cried into his shoulder because he had opened the floodgates. Rest in peace to the photos she was going to have to take with her family and some streaking mascara. Who needed to look nice when she could have Maverick and racoon eyes?

"I would've been here before today," Maverick muttered against her shoulder. Arms wrapped around her like he was never going to let her go. "But I lost my passport."

Everleigh wrinkled her nose. Laughed wetly. "Did you really?"

Maverick laughed, held her a little tighter. "I could've come up with a thousand excuses that sounded less dumb than that, but that's the truth, Meadowlark."

"I love you so much."

"I love you too. I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry I got drunk and ruined your residency."

Maverick squeezed her. "All I needed was for you to tell me to stay, and I wouldn't have said yes in the first place."

"I'm so happy you're here."

"Speaking of," Maverick said, pulling away slightly but keeping a hand on her waist. "I didn't forget to get you a present. Valedic-fucking-torian you are."

"You got me flowers." Everleigh held them in her arm like she would Navi. "That's enough."

"Those are I'm a dumbass and I'm sorry flowers," Maverick said. "Not grad flowers."

"You didn't have to."

Maverick reached his hand behind his back and pulled a wrapped rectangle from behind his back.

Everleigh laughed. "Did you just pull that out the back of your trousers?"

"Left my satchel in Windsor," Maverick teased as he held the package out to her. "And you've worn my boxers before. Figured it was a trade-off."

Everleigh smiled, took the package from him. "Do you want me to open it now?"

"No, it was just giving me a—"

"Don't be a spoon."

Maverick's eyes softened. "I've never been more thankful to be called a utensil."

"You're lucky I didn't bring out the knork."

Maverick laughed. "I'm sorry, I forgot the card."

Everleigh stuck her finger into the wrapping paper and ripped it open. A copy of Sword of Destiny. She laughed. "You gave me my own book?"

"I left your Witchers at your flat when I moved in, thank you very much," Maverick said. "This one is... well. Open it."

Everleigh looked at him. "If this is some stupid fucking Scream 3 bullshit—"

"God almighty, Everleigh, open it—"

"I need to say that while I love you, I don't believe in marriage—"

"I'm not proposing to you, you fucking cauliflower, stop being so stubborn."

"Cauliflower?"

"Everleigh."

Everleigh opened the book. The front cover was written on. To my Everleigh—

Everleigh nearly choked on the breath she inhaled a little too sharply. "Oh my God, did you annotate a book for me?"

"Well. Yeah," Maverick said. "Well. I wrote the notes on a different piece of paper and Esmé wrote them in the book for me. But they're from me, Meadowlark."

"Did you pick Sword of Destiny because of A Shard of Ice is—"

"The most romantic Witcher story there is?"

"I'm so fucking in love with you," Everleigh said.

She pulled him a little closer with her sash and cord again. Never going to let him go.

*

After cake at Roman and Florence's house, Maverick and Everleigh drove back to her flat. A little too familiar. Everleigh didn't take her hand out of his the entire time he drove her car. There were a couple bouquets in the back seat, one from her parents, Florence and Roman, and Maverick. She didn't consider herself a flower person, but the bouquets were nice. Using them to brighten up rooms would be nice to have around the flat.

"I'm so excited to see Dewey," Maverick said. "Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic to see you. But that damn dog..."

"He's going to lose his mind." Everleigh smiled.

Another point to her hypothesis that Maverick was hot no matter what he did, he pulled her flat key from his pocket. Everleigh was lost in space when it came to him, in over her head with how much she loved him.

Everleigh turned her phone on as Maverick unlocked the door. She laughed softly. Not even that many notifications could bring her down.

"What's up?" Maverick asked.

"I think I need to send photos to Stevie for approval before I post them," Everleigh said. "Give her a fair warning."

It so happened that Roman had got a photo of Everleigh kissing Maverick and holding her grad cap on; somehow made it look decent in the shitty lighting. They both smiled into the kiss, Maverick's hands wrapped around her in the greatest embrace of her life. The moment Roman had texted the photo to her, Everleigh went on Instagram. Finally followed Maverick back. Went public on her account for the first time in a year. Posted it, tagged him. And shut her phone off until she got home. Peaceful.

While there were plenty of comments from people who clearly hated her, people who clearly loved her, and people who didn't know who the hell she was, Stevie commented a few times. Some random combinations of letters that resembled what was probably screaming. Others that said i'm dead or some variation of that. And one that said i'm so proud of you THAT'S MY GRADUATE that made Everleigh want to fly to LA to hug her more than she already did. Brendon and Jun's comments were similarly commenting about how Nurse Meadowlark owed Maverick free therapy for finally following him back.

"Careful," Maverick said, opening the door, "She's probably ready to end you but also kiss you but also scream at the Grammys carpet—Hi my baby boy!"

Dewey ran around Maverick's ankles for only a moment before being scooped into his arms. A duo Everleigh had missed.

"I missed you so much, my sweet baby angel Dewmaster." Maverick buried his cheek in Dewey's fur. Dewey squirmed with excitement, licking his face. "Yes. Hello. Hello. I'm here. Dad's home."

Everleigh walked past them as the went through the door, kicking it shut behind her. In her arms were the three bouquets, her degree, and the book. She didn't have many vases, but she had tall glasses for water and steins. That would work, right? Little bit of sugar in the water to make sure? Sounded good to her. She placed everything on the kitchen counter.

Maverick was on his knees as Dewey danced around him, barking happily in spite of them teaching him not to do that. The two of them were on the same page for that one. Everleigh could've died happy that moment.

"You know," Maverick said, "I didn't peg you for a person who wanted this many flowers in her apartment."

"Those are from Stevie," Everleigh said. Smiling softly. She ran a couple glasses under her sink tap, ready to sugar them before putting the flowers in. "They arrived this morning."

"Naturally she beat me." Maverick laughed.

"The Capri Sun box from Jun is in the fridge if you want one. Hawai'i Cooler of course." The card from the two of them made Everleigh cry while she was getting ready.

"You're joking."

Everleigh laughed. "I'm really not."

"Feel better now that it's over?"

"Feel better now that you're here."

"Cheesy, Meadowlark."

"You mean the world to me. I don't care if it's cheesy."