Becoming Mrs. Seguin

It was the day after Damon's graduation and the both of us were hanging out in his dorm, drinking some fancy wine that he'd gotten as a present yesterday following the ceremony.

We had spent the whole day packing all of his stuff into boxes. Tomorrow, he'd leave for New York to start his first day at work as the new CEO of Parker Enterprises.

"I can't wait until I get this next summer," I remarked, admiring Damon's MBA diploma that he had framed.

"I bet. You've worked so hard these past years," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, but I couldn't have done it without you. I mean, who's gonna help me study for exams now?"

"Christine, you're the smartest girl I've ever dated or met. You'll be fine, trust me," Damon reassured.

"Oh, so you've had other girlfriends before me? What a shocker," I teased.

Damon was honestly the most perfect boyfriend a girl could ever ask for, so it sure didn't surprise me that he'd been in past relationships.

"They were nothing compared to you, though. In fact, most of them had the IQ of a cockroach. I only dated those girls because they were hot," Damon admitted truthfully.

"Let me guess, you were going through your high school, raging hormones phase?"

"Yup. I never loved any of them either."

"Is that so?", I asked with a gleam of amusement in my eyes.

"If I did, then I wouldn't be here with you right now."

Damon and I spent the rest of the evening talking about our teenaged years, which seemed like only yesterday. I even brought up the time that Nick had asked me to be his girlfriend after prom and how I rejected him.

It felt as if I had never left high school. The memories always stayed with me, from the happy ones to all of the sad ones after Karl and I had broken up.

But the most important thing I learned during those years was to appreciate my family. I had thought that Karl would always be there for me, but I was wrong. And the same went for Tyler. Relationships ended when things didn't go well, but family was forever.

Afterwards, Damon and I went out for our last dinner together at a well-known Italian restaurant downtown. The food was delicious, but I just didn't feel like eating a lot like I usually did. Besides, there were other things going on in my mind.

On our way back to the campus, I didn't say a single word. Everything was just happening way too soon, with Damon already leaving tomorrow. It took every nerve I had to not burst into tears.

"Christine, why are you so quiet all of a sudden?", Damon asked.

"I'm just tired, that's all," I lied.

The moment he parked his car in front of my dorm was when I couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears streamed down my face as I let all of my emotions out.

"Christine, what's wrong? Did something happen to you?", Damon panicked. I shook my head in response.

"I-I don't want you to go," I stuttered.

"Shh, calm down, baby. You don't want me to go where?", Damon asked gently.

"New York."

"Oh. That's why you're crying? I know, I'm gonna miss you a lot, too," he said, leaning over to pull me into his arms.

"What if you meet someone better than me over there? We don't have to continue this relationship any longer if you don't want to."

"Christine, what on earth are you talking about?", Damon asked in disbelief, completely caught off guard. "You think that I don't love you?"

"I do. It's just, I'm afraid you'll forget about me once we're apart," I replied, choking on my tears.

Damon held my face in his hands, looking straight into my eyes as he spoke in a serious tone.

"Christine, I will never hurt you the way Tyler did. You don't have to worry about that. You're the first girl I've ever loved and the only one I'll ever love. Do you understand?"

I nodded my head in response.

"Good. Now stop crying, you're gonna make it even harder for me to leave tomorrow."

Damon kissed me on the cheek and then we got out of his car.

As I was getting ready to go to sleep, he went to sit down on the bed next to me, draping the covers over my body.

"Drive safely tomorrow," I said to him.

"I will. I'll call you when I get to New York."

"Sounds good."

Damon gave me one last kiss good-night before getting up to leave.

"I'll see you this Christmas. And remember to call and tell me all about your summer, ok?"

"Of course. Good-bye, Damon," I said, feeling the tears well up in my eyes.

"Sleep tight. I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered once he was out the door.

***

The snow was falling lightly as I walked along the streets of New York City, taking in its sky-high buildings and beautiful holiday decorations. Rockefeller Plaza's grand Christmas tree was on display for everyone to see as its ornaments sparkled in the sun.

Damon was at a business meeting so he had told one of his secretaries to come pick me up from the airport. Instead of waiting for him at his office, I had decided to take a stroll in the city since there would be another hour left until the meeting ended.

I sure couldn't wait to see Damon again. It had been way too long. On the phone earlier, he had told me that I was in for a big surprise today. Well whatever he had up his sleeve, I sure was looking forward to it.

It finally reached 5 o'clock and I headed inside the building of Parker Enterprises. Damon's secretary led me up to his office, knocking on the door to let him know that I was here.
"Christine? Come on in, the door's unlocked," he called.

I opened the door to see Damon's beaming face and immediately, he stood up from his desk to walk over to me.

"There's my girl," he greeted warmly.

"Oh, Damon."

I threw my arms around his neck as he pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms tight around my waist.

"God, I've missed you so much," he said, kissing my forehead.

I stood back to take a good look at Damon. He hadn't changed a bit since I last saw him in June. The only thing was his suit he wore which made him look older and more mature.

Since I was getting pretty hungry, I asked Damon if we could head out for dinner. But first, he said that he had to do something really important. And apparently, it was the surprise he had talked about earlier.

I watched as Damon pulled a small box out of his pocket before getting down on one knee. A gasp escaped my lips as I realized what was happening.

Once he finished proposing, I said yes, throwing myself against him as we stood there hugging and kissing, completely filled with joy and happiness.

It was official. Damon and I were finally engaged. Eventually, we'd get married and spend our future together for the rest of our lives. It's what the both of us had always wanted.

Unfortunately, things wouldn't be that be simple...

***

The last two trimesters of college flew by and before I knew it, graduation day came. I ended up graduating at the top of my class, just like I did back in high school. My family and fiancé had flown in yesterday to attend the ceremony today.

I was going over my speech for the final time, adding any last minute touches. This was it. The day I had been anticipating my whole twenty-four years of living. And let me tell you, I couldn't have been any prouder of myself.

The six years I spent in college had changed me into a different person. I was no longer a girl anymore, but a grown woman- wiser, more mature, and ready to explore the numerous careers that this country had to offer.

Unfortunately, it was pouring rain outside, but the morning commencement ceremony would still take place out on Harvard Yard like it did every other year.

A large tent had been set up earlier to accommodate everyone so that we wouldn't get drenched in the rain. Hopefully, the weather would clear up in time for the diploma ceremony later this afternoon.

I located my parents, who were standing by the entrance of the tent prior to the ceremony. I'd never seen them this happy before, apart from when I had told them about my engagement with Damon.

"You look gorgeous, sweetheart," my dad said with a huge grin, giving me a hug. For the special occasion, I had gotten my hair curled and styled into a bun this morning.

"Thanks dad. God, I'm actually so nervous right now," I admitted.

"You've done this before though, remember? Back in high school?", my mom pointed out.

"Yeah, but this time it's different. There's so many important people here."

"Believe me, you'll do great. Your father and I are so proud to call you our daughter, you know that? I remember the day I had to let you go for college. Being your mother, it was especially hard for me.

"But look at where you are now. Christine, you're an MBA graduate from Harvard. What more could a parent ask for from their child?"

My mother's words brought tears to my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away before my make-up could get smeared.

"I love you guys," I said, pulling the both of my parents into a huge embrace.

"Your brother and Damon said good luck by the way. They had to go use the restroom," my dad informed.

"Tell them I say thank you. I'll see you guys after the ceremony."

I headed back to where my fellow graduates were standing. All other thoughts were set aside as I mentally prepared myself for my speech.

It felt like a decade until I was finally called onto the stage. The sound of applause rang throughout the Yard as I made my way to the podium, poised and confident. I took a deep breath before beginning my speech.

"There is a good reason they call these ceremonies 'commencement exercises.' Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning. ~Orrin Hatch."

Following the quote, I dove into the rest of my speech. I made sure to keep a smile on my face the whole time, which wasn't hard since I was feeling beyond this world right now.

As I spoke, my eyes made contact with everyone in the audience, simply enjoying the grand moment. I suddenly saw somebody heading towards the tent from outside and immediately, I directed my attention to them. No one else noticed though since they were all looking ahead at me.

A male figure walked in, carrying a bundle of flowers in one hand. I couldn't identify his face because he was looking away, so I decided to just ignore him.

But I didn't.

He took a seat near the back then directed his gaze towards me. A loud gasp escaped my lips as I stared at him.

I quickly pretended to clear my throat then continued my speech as if nothing had happened so that I wouldn't stir confusion amongst the audience.

It couldn't be...could it?

There was something awfully familiar about that guy. Still, I kept on telling myself that it was just my eyes deceiving me.

But the moment he leaned forward in his seat, giving me a better view of his face, my suspicions were confirmed.

That smug smile...was he mocking me? The nerve of him!

I barely was able to finish up the rest of my speech without looking in his direction and exploding with anger, but by the time I did, I had one question, and one question only, stirring in the back of my brain.

What the hell was Tyler Seguin doing here?!