Chapter 171: Chapter 171

Aurelia

Talon’s father nodded once when he looked at me. Not overly expressive But approving in that steady way he always was. That alone meant more than a speech.

And then I looked at my mother. She was already watching me, calm and relaxed, like she had been waiting for this moment without needing it to feel dramatic.

“You made it,” she said simply. I stepped toward her and hugged her properly. “Yeah,” I said softly. “I did.” She patted my back once. “Good. Now go enjoy it," she said.

That was it. No emotional overload Just understanding because she knew exactly what it took to get here better than anyone.

When I pulled back, she smiled slightly.

“I’m proud of you,” she added, and that was enough.

Talon

I watched her move through all of it. Not overwhelmed, not lost Just present That was the difference now She didn’t shrink into the moment. She stood inside it. My mother leaned slightly toward me at one point. “She’s grounded,” she said quietly.

“She is,” I replied.

“That matters,” she added. I nodded once. “I know.” Because it does more than people realize. The ceremony started not long after that. Rows of students Names being called, applause filling the air in waves I stayed seated, watching the entire time, not missing a single moment.

When they called her name, I didn’t move. But I saw everything. The way she stood The way she walked The way she smiled slightly before crossing the stage Not performative, just real. When she got her degree, she paused for half a second. Not long enough for anyone else to notice But I did. And then she continued forward. That pause meant something: recognition. Maybe even disbelief at how far she had come But she kept moving anyway. That’s what matters.

Aurelia

When I walked off the stage, my hands were slightly shaking. Not from nerves anymore Just release, like my body finally understood it was allowed to relax. I found them again in the crowd afterward. And everything felt louder for a second.

People talking, cameras flashing Dani pulling me into a quick hug again. “You actually did it,” she repeated. “I know,” I said, laughing. But then I looked up. And saw

Talon again, standing where he always was, watching. Waiting, not impatient Just there, I walked toward him without stopping this time.

And when I reached him, I didn’t say anything at first. Neither did he We just looked at each other. Like everything else around us had slowed down. Then I said quietly, “I graduated.”

He nodded. “I saw.” That made me smile slightly. “Not very emotional of you.” I said

“I’m aware," he replied. A pause. Then he stepped closer. Not sudden, just sure. And for the first time today, I felt the weight of everything settle properly. Not the stress

Not the effort Just completed, he looked at me for a second longer. Then said quietly, "You did it.”

I nodded. “Yeah. And that’s when it happened—not planned. Not announced, just natural. He leaned in and kissed me. Right there, not rushed. Not performative, just real, not to mark ownership Not to prove anything to anyone Just because in that moment, everything had already been said without words.

When he pulled back slightly, he didn’t say anything. Neither did I. Because we didn’t need to, people around us reacted. Of course they did. But it felt distant. Like background noise to something much more grounded I looked at him again. And he looked back at me like this wasn’t a beginning or an ending. Just a confirmation We made it here together.

Talon

I didn’t think about the crowd. Not after that moment. Because it wasn’t for them It never was. She stood there still for a second, breathing slower now, settled. I could see it.

This version of her isn’t the same girl I met in highschool She’s stronger now. Not because she adapted to anything outside her But because she built herself alongside it That matters more than most people understand.

She looked at me again and said quietly, “what now.” I answered honestly. “Next phase.” She raised an eyebrow slightly. “That sounds like you," she said.

“It is.” She smiled, and for once, I didn’t feel the need to analyze what comes after the moment. Because right now was enough. And she was here. And she chose this life without losing herself inside it. That was the part I cared about most.

Not the attention Not the setting Just that Her Still her Standing right here.

Aurelia

It’s weird how fast “temporary” turns into “normal.” A few weeks after graduation, I stopped calling it the Blackwell house. It just didn’t fit anymore. It was home, simple as that. I had my things in the room I basically lived in now; my routine folded into theirs without anyone making a big announcement about it. No dramatic “move-in” moment, just… me staying. And nobody is questioning it.

Mornings were usually calm. Afternoons were either Talon working somewhere in the house or me getting dragged out by his mom or Amy. “Come on,” Amy would say, already halfway out the door. "You're not staying in today.”

“I have reading—”

“You always have reading.” she  would say

“That’s because I’m in school mode permanently.”

“Exactly. Break time.” she would reply And just like that, I’d be outside in some café or store I didn’t even know existed ten minutes earlier.

Talon’s mom was the same in a quieter way. She’d just appear at my door sometimes. “No plans today,” she’d say.

I’d look at her. “That wasn’t a question.”

“It is now.” And somehow I’d end up going with her anyway. Not because I was pushed, but because it felt… normal. Like I was included without having to be asked twice. And the more time passed, the more I realized something simple: I wasn’t fitting into their world; I was just in it now.

Talon

She stopped calling it the Blackwell house a while ago I noticed Not because she announced it Because of how she said things.

“How long till we get home?" Not “your house.” Not “the house.” Just home. That shift matters more than people think. It doesn’t happen fast. It happens when someone stops being a guest in your space and becomes part of its rhythm.

She doesn’t ask for permission anymore. She exists here naturally. My mother notices it too. She doesn’t comment on it directly. She just includes her more. Dinner plans, errands Small decisions that used to not involve her at all—Amy takes it even further.

She just treats Aurelia like she’s always been here. Which, in her head, she probably already decided months ago And I don’t correct any of it because it’s accurate now.

Aurelia

The night it happened started with a simple dinner. That’s it. No big setup No dramatic hint Just everyone deciding to go out together.

Me, Talon, his parents, Amy, Nico, Mason, Sophia, Luke, Gabe, Sienna, and Mom. A whole group. It felt more like celebration energy than anything else, but I didn’t question it.