6 Months Later

"Lili Dawson!' I crossed the stage and shook hands with the Dean.

"Congratulations," he told me.

"Thank you!" I smiled. He handed me my diploma and I crossed off the stage. I glanced into the crowd and my brothers, father, and Jessie were standing in the crowd, clapping and whistling.

"That's my sister!" Noah yelled.

I could feel my cheeks heating up, but I couldn't stop the smile that was blooming on my face. I glanced closer to the stage, and my friends were cheering and clapping for me. I locked eyes with Josh for a brief second. That's my girl! He mouthed to me. I smiled. As soon as I stepped back onto the ground, a little body slammed into me.

"Auntie Lili!" she squealed. "You did it! You graduated!"

"Yeah, I did!' I agreed. I squeezed her hand. "Let's watch for your dad." Mila nodded happily.

"Danny Fisher!" Mila screamed and cheered like a maniac and I cheered along with her. I clapped and cheered too.

"Daddy!" Mila screamed as Danny climbed back down the stairs. Mila was just a ball of happiness and she was so proud of her dad. I wasn't sure if Mila understood that Danny would still have many more years of school before he became a doctor, but it was heartwarming nonetheless.

After Danny and I hugged and congratulated each other we waited patiently until Cooper's name was called. "Cooper Johnson," the announcer said.

Copper crossed to the center of the stage, he shook hands with the dean and accepted his diploma. He stopped for a picture with a cheeky smile. Then he glanced over at Danny and I.

"Oh no," Danny said quietly.

"What?" I whispered back.

But my question was answered for me. Cooper unzipped his gown and took it off on stage to reveal nothing but a pair of boxers. Danny slapped a hand over Mila's eyes and my mouth dropped open.

"CLASS OF 2020!" he shouted. He ran a viceroy lap around a surprised group of administrators before running off stage toward us.

"What was that?!" I asked, amused.

"Josh said I didn't have the balls to do it," Cooper told me.

"Of course he did," Danny muttered. "Would you put some damn clothes on, there are children around."

"Yeah, yeah," Cooper agreed. He slipped his arms into the gown and zipped it back up. He took a seat next to me and we waited once more.

"Camila Lopez," the announcer said.

Our little group went wild. Cami crossed the stage , gained her diploma and joined us. I almost tackled her with a hug.

"You did it!" I cheered.

"You did it!" she said to me.

"We survived college," I told her.

"With three dummies we picked up along the way," Cami laughed. We glanced back at two of our dummies who were playing with Mila.

"I wouldn't trade them," I told her.

"Me neither," she agreed.

"Thank you for everything that you've done for me," I told her. "Through out all of college, and all of our lives. If you hadn't made me go to that hockey party, I never would have met Josh and-"

"And you would have met him somewhere else," Cami said. "The universe would have made you come together."

I smiled.

"But thank you, Lili," Cami said. "You are the voice keeping me sane for god knows how many years now. I could never have asked for a better friend."

My eyes pricked, "I love you Cami."

"I love you Lili," she squeezed me into a tight hug. I knew that we weren't leaving each other's lives, but it just felt like the end of an era. The end of being clueless college students. I glanced over to Danny and Cooper who were still playing with Mila, they looked happy, but not like they had when they had first gotten off the stage. I wondered if they were thinking the same thing that I was. That we were done with this chapter of our lives.

We all sat together, a little more solemn than before. Cami slipped her hand into mine and we laced our fingers tightly. She squeezed once and I squeezed back once. Cooper, Danny, Cami, and I didn't talk as we waited for our third dummy to get his diploma. Not even Mila chatted, almost as if she knew the feeling that was settling over us.

"Josh Miller," the announcer said.

We cheered loudly. "That's my best friend!" Cooper shouted. Josh blew a kiss to his best friend from the stage and the crowd laughed lightly.

Josh got his diploma and descended the stairs to us. He walked right to me, so close that we were almost chest to chest.

"Congrat-"

"I love you," he interrupted me.

Time stopped.

"What-?"

"I've loved you since you kept up with my crazy family. Hell, I've probably loved you since that first time I set eyes on you at that party," he smiled. I felt my mouth open and close."I cannot believe that I have waited this long to tell you, but I just can't keep it hidden any longer." A pause. "I mean, it didn't really keep it hidden per say, but I mean not telling you, I mean, not saying the words, I mean, please say something."

"I love you too," I told him. His face broke into a wide smile and I felt warmth spread between us.

"Don't say that," Josh told me.

"Say what?" I asked.

"Too. it's like your agreeing with me," Josh said.

"Okay Josh," I agreed with a little smile. "I love you Josh Miller, not too, but with my own convictions."

"Say it again," he said with a goofy smile as he took a step closer to me.

"I love you, Miller," I told him quietly. I wasn't sure that his smile could get any larger, but it did. He picked me up and we kissed. I felt like a Disney princess. I think Mila would be proud.

"Break it up lovebirds," Cooper shouted at us. We broke apart and I felt my cheeks heat. "We have some partying to do!"

THE END