Senior Semester: All The While Part 28

MAY.

Epilogue.

Maura.

Five months later.

Our boat is completely still, everyone poised in position, as we wait in antic.i.p.ation for the start. I pull the brim of Adrian's Toronto Blue Jays hat lower over my eyes to block the glaring sun. Behind me, Amber s.h.i.+fts in her seat. We're all ready for the start, completely prepared for this race. Our minds are all locked in on winning, and we're leaving everything we have, every fiber of strength in our beings, out on the water today.

This is it. The women's varsity eight finals. Six boats, all racing to be the number one team in the United States. And it has to be us. It has to be.

"Settle down now," our c.o.xswain, Amanda, says lightly, her fingertips tapping the outside of the boat. "Here we go."

We all steady ourselves in the start position and when the horn blares, we are perfectly in sync as we slide back to a half stroke. The race is underway in seconds, water splas.h.i.+ng, our bodies bending in unison, Amanda's instructions floating on top of the wind. I feel the wind against my face, hear it whistle in my ears. The loud screams and cheers from spectators ring out, but I don't turn my head, don't do anything to jeopardize the concentration of the boat, the focus we are all giving to this singular moment. I know somewhere out there, Lila, Emma, and Mia are lined up, waving our school colors and homemade posters. I'm sure Zack is leaning over the railing of his boathouse, my parents flanking him, staring right at me as our boat moves closer to the finish line. And I know, from the bottom of my heart, that Adrian is watching over me, cheering me on, encouraging me to dig in with everything I have.

"Keep it up! Six seat, slow your slide," Amanda's voice calls out. "Third five-hundred, turn it up!" She yells as we enter the third portion of the two thousand-meter race.

We all push harder, lean into our catches more, keep our heels planted. Suddenly, it's like we're flying, our sh.e.l.l barely skimming the top of the river. We fall into a rhythm so graceful, so harmonious, so synchronized that everything else seems to drop away. It's just the nine of us in the boat, the purpose of this race, the significance of this moment. And we row.

"We're in first! Keep the lead. Hold the lead!" Amanda's voice is a mixture of elation and nerves.

We never break our pace, never second-guess our victory of this regatta. Moments later, we cross the finish line first. The cheers go up from the grand stands, but we're all too tired, too dazed, too overwhelmed to do anything for several seconds but sit and stare in shock.

"Maura!" Zack's voice calls out from the bank of the river. I look up and see him standing in his singlet and a pair of gym shorts, his hands cupping around his mouth so his voice carries. "You did it!"

I did it.

"Oh my G.o.d! We did it," I whisper.

We won the Dad Vail Regatta.

And that's when the pandemonium erupts. The girls scream, hugging and wiping errant tears from their faces. I clasp the brim of Adrian's hat, pressing my fingertips together hard, as if I'm pressing this moment, this memory, into him. And in a way I am. Because this race, the grueling hours of practice, the early mornings on the water, they were all always for him.

We row to the dock slowly and climb out of the sh.e.l.l, half of the oars clanging down noisily on the wooden dock, the other half skimming the water. When I look up, Zack is there, pulling me into a hug. Over his shoulder, Mom and Dad hug in an embrace, silent tears welling in my mother's eyes.

"Holy guacamole! That was crazy!" Emma's voice calls out as she tugs me from Zack's embrace into her own.

"You were amazing!" Mia gushes, squeezing my hand.

"The best!" Lila echoes.

I take in this moment, the smiling faces of the people I love best, the warmth of my teammates' arms as they rest around my shoulders for a group photo, the cold tickle of champagne as it sprays down on us from the champagne shower some of the undercla.s.smen shake up.

I breathe it all in and know that Adrian would be-is incredibly proud.

And I know that when Zack lines up at the start in another thirty minutes, Adrian will watch over his teammates, his old boat, as they take first place. He'll laugh down at us later tonight as we party away one of our last evenings as college seniors, all of us riding the natural high of the day, of the victory.

And he'll continue to watch over all of us as we move forward with our lives, our days melting into years. And somehow, even though he's not here, he'll always be with me, with us.

Of this, at least, I am certain.

Stay tuned for Emma's Story coming Spring 2017.

Acknowledgements.

Thank you to everyone who has continued to support me as I spend each day loving what I do! To you, the reader, for falling in love with the characters of The Senior Semester Series thank you so much for reading!

To my husband, Tony, for all the days you pushed me out the door to write and never complained when we ordered another pizza for dinner. Thank you for always believing in me and making my dreams yours.

To my beautiful, energetic, sweet, independent Aiva, I hope you have a pa.s.sion you love as much as I love writing. And that you pursue it, always.

To my Little, for always keeping me company as I write and reminding me to eat a lot! I can't wait to meet you!

To my best, Christy, for all of your insight, advice, and willingness to discuss my characters like the real people I imagine them to be. Thank you for being the first person to always read my work.

To Maxann Dobson at The Polished Pen for wonderfully editing this book! To Deborah Bradseth at Tugboat Design for creating another cover that I absolutely love! Thank you both truly.

To my family and friends, my sincerest and heartfelt thanks for all your love, encouragement, and support.

About the Author.

Gina Azzi loved every moment of college-especially her study abroad experiences, interns.h.i.+ps, and travel adventures! She drew on her college experiences to create the storylines for The Senior Semester Series.

Gina is a pa.s.sionate reader, frequent globetrotter, and coffee enthusiast. She currently resides in Canada with her husband and daughter.

FOR MORE BOOKS BY GINA AZZI:.

Corner of Ocean and Bay.

The Senior Semester Series.

The Last First Game (Lila's Story ).

Kiss Me Goodnight in Rome (Mia's Story ).

All the While (Maura's Story).

Emma's Story 2017.

end.