Caoimhe chewed on her bottom lip as she fiddled with the gold sash around her neck. She was surrounded by strangers in the sea of black caps and gowns. Her stomach fluttered with nerves.

She'd worked hard for four years and paid over $24,000 for the piece of paper she was soon going to walk over the stage for. Caoimhe had poured blood, sweat, and tears into getting her degree. She couldn't wait to finally graduate, but she was also scared of the future. This made her feel like she should be an official adult.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, distracting her from her thoughts.

why are you nervous ???

im the one about to walk across a stage in front of 5,300 people and their entire families

you don't even know where they are

relax, it'll be fine

stop texting me, i'm not supposed to be distracted

STOP

Caoimhe turned her phone off, refusing to check it even after it buzzed a couple more times. She knew Clay must be bored out of his mind, but that was the price he had to pay for wanting to attend her college graduation.

Drew was two rows behind her, at the end of the P last names. Caoimhe wished they were closer, they would be a good distraction. The whole ceremony was just old people making speeches and strangers with last names before them walking across the stage.

Finally, Caoimhe's row stood up, filing into line to walk. The ball of nerves in Caoimhe's stomach tightened as it got shorter and shorter in front of her.

"Caoimhe O'Connor."

She was 110% sure that her mother was recording the whole thing from wherever they were sitting, so she made sure to plaster a smile on her face as she moved towards the center. Caoimhe shook hands with the presenter, accepting the diploma and a whispered 'congratulations', speeding up to get off the stage and back to her seat.

Boom. And just like that, she was done. Caoimhe O'Connor had graduated from the University of Central Florida. It was over.

Her phone buzzed again, and she finally let herself check it.

I KNOW

I DID IT

Drew's row stood up, and Caoimhe made sure to pay attention as Drew Purandeswari graduated with a degree in biology. VCU Med School was already waiting for them up in Virginia in the fall. Caoimhe was so proud.

Eventually the ceremony ended, hats thrown up and everything, and everyone was met with utter chaos as they tried to locate their friends and family. Drew threw themself at Caoimhe, the best friends clinging to each other and trying not to cry.

Drew's family found them first, Mrs. Purandeswari's little five foot frame shoving through the crowd, while their dad and stepmother followed. They all congratulated their child, with Mr. Purandeswari already lecturing them about getting good grades in Richmond, and Mrs. Purandeswari bragged to Caoimhe that Drew's sister, Deva, was marrying an engineer she'd been set up with.

Caoimhe's parents found her, and Caoimhe quickly said her goodbyes, running towards their open arms. Her brother, Cian, stood there awkwardly.

"Congratulations, kiddo!" Her dad ruffled her hair.

Her mom peppered her face with kisses, squealing at how her little girl was all grown up.

Cian flashed a thumbs up and a grimace before Caoimhe smothered him with a hug too.

She almost forgot about Clay before receiving a bunch of panicked texts. He was lost in the crowd. Caoimhe quickly texted their approximate location, before turning to her family.

"Mum, Dad, there's someone I want you to meet." She spotted Clay over their heads and waved her arms wildly to draw his attention. Her parents both looked back to see who she was gesturing at.

Clay saw her, his face lighting up before he saw her parents and it darkened again.

Caoimhe grabbed onto his elbow, pulling him into her side. "This is my boyfriend Clay."

"."

Mrs. O'Connor's smile got even brighter. "So this is the lad you've been going on about for months."

Mr. O'Connor narrowed his eyes at his wife. "You knew about this?"

"Of course I fucking did, Rory! I'm her mother, you eejit!"

"Well Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Why wasn't I informed of this earlier, Claire?!"

Clay made a confused look at Caoimhe as her parents' accents got thicker and thicker as they argued. She just shook her head.

Cian awkwardly held his hand out for Clay to shake. "You treating my sister alright?"

Caoimhe rolled her eyes, Clay laughed. "."

"Stop calling the nineteen year old sir." She groaned. "It'll go right to his head."

"I'm his superior. " Cian smirked cheekily. "How long have you been dating anyway?"

Caoimhe punched Clay in the arm, making him flinch and rub it gingerly.

"So, what do you do, Clay?' Her dad asked.

"." He said with entirely too much confidence.

"I- uh y- you're a what?"

"He makes videos. A ton of people follow him."

"How many?" Cian asked.

"." Clay answered honestly. It lingered, the O'Connors not really sure what to respond.

"Stop codding on, boyo." Her mother said.

"He's not lying, Mum."

The O'Connors interrogated him a little longer and showered Caoimhe with compliments for her achievement. The group slowly made their way out of the crowded building.

They split up to take two different cars to a restaurant, Caoimhe riding with her parents and Cian riding with Clay in the cube-mobile. No one complained, even though Clay looked a little freaked out to be left alone with one of her family members.

Mrs. O'Connor raised her glass in a toast once they were all seated. "To Caoimhe!"

"To Caoimhe!" They all repeated, sipping from their wine glasses. Cian's had Sprite in it, but he pretended it was wine like everyone else.

The five of them dug into their food, making pleasant conversation. Clay beat Caoimhe's father to paying for the check, making him raise his eyebrows in pleasant surprise. Caoimhe winked at her boyfriend.

She didn't realize how much she had missed her family until she was back with them. It was just an amazing bonus that her two worlds got to collide and Clay was there. Caoimhe was hit with a bolt of melancholy as they finished up the celebratory dinner, all stuffed to the brim.

Mrs. O'Connor yawned and Mr. O'Connor clicked his tongue. "Well, we better hit the road."

"You're not staying?"

"Hotels were all booked and I have work tomorrow. It's already late enough." He frowned. "Cian has to drive up to North Carolina for a final too."

"Nooooo." Caoimhe whined. "Y'all just got here!"

Mr. O'Connor scooped his daughter up in one final hug. Caoimhe rubbed the top of his bald head lovingly, making him grumble that he wouldn't miss her.

Mrs. O'Connor kissed her face a couple more times and made her promise to bring Clay up to St. Augustine at some point. Caoimhe promised.

Cian flashed her another thumbs up and shook Clay's hand again.

Caoimhe waved as they drove off, turning to Clay and giving him a proper kiss once she knew they couldn't see.

"We did it."

"" He joked.

"Oh shut up, it was not that bad. I didn't trip on the stage and you didn't make my family hate you. I think they actually quite like you."

"?" Clay wrapped his arms around her waist, looking down at her.

"Yeah." Caoimhe repeated, looking up at him. "And I think with time, they could love you."

"Mhm. I mean, of course they won't love you as much as I love you, but it'll still be great."

The biggest smile Caoimhe had ever seen in her life appeared on his face.

"Yes, Clay. Of course I love you." She said sincerely.

He leaned down, crushing his lips to hers instantly. She hummed with giddiness as she returned it with equal fervor.

Clay broke off a few seconds later, pupils blown and lips looking thoroughly kissed. ""

She kissed him again.

Caoimhe O'Connor believed in love. She always had, honestly. For a while though, she hadn't believed it would happen to her. None of her past boyfriends had made her feel like that.

There was love everywhere. Her best friend, Drew, and their girlfriend were in love. Her parents were in love. Her childhood dog had been in love with the poodle across the street. Even her little cousin claimed he was in love with a girl in his year 7 class.

Who could've predicted that she herself would find love because some idiot typed in the wrong area code? Caoimhe didn't. The idiot himself didn't. But man was she glad he did. It seemed like the only fitting beginning to their story.

Caoimhe was in love with Clay and Clay was in love with Caoimhe and everything finally felt right. They had each other. Everything was going to be okay.