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"Fuck!" Archer yelled, frustrated by the traffic. He threw his hands onto the wheel. He wasn't going to make it.
Large crowd. Large crowd full of people that don't like him. And their parents. Sonny was forced to stand among those people as they wore dark gowns and caps, their names called one by one to go receive their diplomas and applause as they were declared graduates on the stage of the football field.
Was he going to care about these people after today?
They never cared about him.
What was he going to do after today? It's been the same thing every day for the past thirteen years of his life, school and rest. But after today, it would just be rest. And that's not how life works.
Was he going to leave Virginia?
No, he couldn't leave his mother. Not with the man he's known for eighteen years. As much as he wanted to leave, he knew if he did there was a possibility he might never see his mom again.
What was he going to do after today?
Finally. The cars were moving. Archer stepped on the gas pedal, accelerating as much as he could without getting in a wreck.
For a graduating class of around three hundred, this ceremony seemed to be dragging on.
"Cassidy Dale."
Sonny's head picked up to watch his lab partner receive her graduation diploma, a smile creeping onto his lips as he applauded her. He then felt his stomach turn as he realized he was next.
Archer slammed the rental car door shut, sprinting toward the fence of the football field. He grabbed the metal wires, his eyes scanning the crowd, his mouth agape as he heard the voice in the microphone call his love's name.
Sonny's stomach dropped, applause filling the air as he stood and walked to the professor. The man handed him the diploma, and he immediately found the eyes of his parents. His mother in tears, his father smiling at him for the first time in years. Sonny smiled, but then his eyes were drawn to a man across the field outside the fence. He was hollering, clapping. Sonny knew exactly who he was, glee painting over his anxiety. But it was time for him to sit back down and wait for the ceremony to conclude.
After the ceremony, all the students and parents poured into the cafeteria to converse and congratulate. Sonny found his parents, his mom throwing herself into her son's arms.
"I'm so proud of you, Sonny" she whispered into his ear, before kissing his cheek.
Sonny smiled, tears beginning to escape his squinted eyes as he held her. "Thank you, mom." Sonny felt a gentle and affectionate pet on the back of his head, causing him to look up to find his father smiling down at him. His father nodded, bringing on the water works for the freckled boy.
But what really did it for Sonny was when he heard his name being called by the familiar Irish voice he's always adored, the one he hasn't heard in two years. Sonny turned his head, his mother slowly backing off the graduate.
"Archer?" Sonny asked, his lip beginning to quiver.
Their eyes met, blue uniting with brown as he ran to Archer. The two wrapped their arms around each other as they crumbled to their knees, sobbing on each others shoulders. Everyone around them was watching, but they didn't care. "I saw it all" Archer blubbered, "I watched you, I saw. I'm so proud of you." Archer gripped the back of Sonny's gown, holding on like he thought he might lose him again.
"Baby, I'm home."