“Lacey Laury.”
The chancellor read out her wife’s name, and Lacey stepped onto the stage. She seemed to float in her graduation gown. As Lacey took the diploma and shook the chancellor’s hand, the entire section around Mia erupted.
“Go Lacey!”
“Yay, Aunt Lacey!”
“Lacey!”
The entire Laury clan had arrived almost four hours before the ceremony to make sure they were in the front row.
Lacey laughed as she waved to their nieces and nephews, then blew a kiss to Mia.
Mia pretended to catch it and laughed as her wife rolled her eyes.
“You two are adorable.” Her mom squeezed her tightly. “Think she’ll stop at her BSN?”
It wasn’t meant as a joke about Lacey switching careers. It was a genuine question, because Lacey was already talking about maybe getting her nurse practitioner’s license. Her wife had gotten a taste of education and support, and she was lapping it up.
Mia loved seeing it. Even if she missed working with her full time. But she got to see her often in her new role as an ER nurse at Hope Hospital.
“You going to follow in her footsteps?” Her mother squeezed her, no pressure. No jokes.
“No.” Mia was now a paramedic specialist. Following the crane accident, she’d gone to get her license in advanced paramedic care, then critical care and finally paramedic specialist.
She spent most of her time doing air transports for critical patients, but she was always on call for critical care in the event of another mass casualty incident. “I like being a paramedic. It’s something different every day. I get to use my knowledge in so many unique ways.”
“Plus you aren’t trapped in the hospital like Lacey.” Her mother laughed and squeezed her tighter.
“She loves it. And love that I don’t have to do it.” She kissed her mother’s forehead. Lacey had been right; confrontation didn’t break a strong family.
“Here comes your wife.” Mia’s mom pulled back, but if Mia thought her mom was stepping aside so she could hug her wife, she was wrong.
“You did great, Lacey!” Her mother pulled Lacey into her arms. “A college graduate.”
Her wife folded into her mother-in-law, contentment flowing through her. Lacey had taken on the last name Laury when they’d wed last year, and she was a full member of the Laury clan.
***
“Thanks, Mom.” Lacey squeezed her mother-in-law, enjoying the hug so much. In the year she’d been married to Mia, she’d gotten more mom and dad hugs than she received her entire childhood.
And it never got old. But right now she wanted to kiss her wife.
“I got my degree!” Lacey danced toward Mia holding the rolled degree.
“Yeah, you did.” Mia pulled her close, her lips brushing against hers.
“Ew, Aunt Mia and Aunt Lacey are kissing.” Their nephew thought all kissing was gross now that he was the ripe old age of nine.
“Then don’t look,” Lacey’s brother-in-law clapped back, and she heard him start to hustle the group to the car.
“Ready for the barbecue celebrating you?” Mia asked.
“It feels weird.”
“You’ve earned it.” Mia kissed her cheek.
“Well, that is true.” Lacey winked, laughing as her wife playfully hit her chest.
Maybe it had taken years to figure out how much she was worth, but Lacey knew it now.
“I love you.” Lacey wrapped her arms around Mia. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” Mia kissed her. The cheers of others celebrating their diplomas disappearing as the two of them embraced.
“All right.” Mia broke apart. “Let’s go celebrate my awesome wife’s college degree!”
visit Mia and Lacey’s hospital again in Juliette Hyland's
Hope Hospital Surgeons miniseries:
Log in or create an account to read the next chapter of "A Paramedic to Tempt Her"
Every month we select a new title from one of our authors so that you can discover new stories, locations and genres for free.