Graduation Day

                                      
     Today was the day. The day that my sister, my brothers and I where graduating
from high school. Believe me when say this, but we are quite thrilled for this
day because it meant that we get break until the fall from the countless number
of people asking if we're twins or triplets. Clearly those people couldn't count
let alone see that there were four us.  My siblings and I had yet to share with
our parents that the Principal and Vice Principal had given us strict
instructions to only invite three guests to the graduation ceremony.
       We were not allowed to have what the Principal called “the entire NCIS Staff,
past and present” in attendance like our brother; Ben, Jayden and Jocelyn had
last year. The Vice Principal then reminded us of the fiasco at Hannah, Leah and
JD’s graduation four years prior. When we had gotten home our mother, NCIS
Special Agent Kate Todd-Mackensie was in the kitchen on one of her infamous
video phone conversations with our Aunts; or at least some of our Aunts. Abby
was going on and on about how she couldn’t believe how much things had changed.
From what we could see from where we stood was that Ziva and Jaylyn were rolling
their eyes at Abby’s rant as Jen tried in the mother role she took on years ago,
to deter Abby’s  thought process.
    “Mom, we need to talk when you get a chance.” Ashleann said making our presence
known.
    “We’ll talk to you later, Kate.” Jen said.
    “Bye guys.” Our mother said as she ended the call.
    “What’s going on? You guys have to get ready for the ceremony.”
    “That’s what we have to talk to you about.” I said as I stepped into the role of
being the eldest quad and the second eldest child in the family.
    “What happened now?” Our mother asked.
    “The Principal and Vice Principal said we had could only have you, dad and Ben
at the ceremony later.” Noah said.
    “They are tired of having all of NCIS at the ceremony.” Drew Jr. said.
    “I’ll take care of it.” Our mother said.
    “Don’t bother; they are pretty set in their decision. Not even Uncle Jethro,
Aunt Jen, Aunt Ziva and Aunt Jay could persuade them to change their minds.” I
said.
    With that we left our mother to her own devices to get ready for the graduation
ceremony. Noah and Drew Jr.  had gone to their rooms to change into the button
down shirt, tie and dress pants before they had put on their caps and gowns.
Ashleann and I decided that it was better for us to go to get our hair done
before we got dressed.   My sister and I were in no hurry to change into our
caps and gowns. Our brothers were fortunate to have their caps and gowns be navy
blue in color. Whereas Ashleann and I were stuck with our caps and gowns be red in color.
     With our high school being located within Quantico it was a given that the school
colors would be the same colors as the Marine Corps. Ashleann and I were not
thrilled that we had to look like cherries while our brothers looked like blue
berries. Ashleann had decided that while we were out getting our hair done for
later that we should take it full circle by getting a manicure and pedicure.
Much like all younger sibling’s way of reasoning, Ashleann justified this idea
of hers was that Mom and Dad were paying for it. Our parents, at least Mom had
given us one of their credit cards to pay for the hair appointment and whatever
else we needed to do to be ready for the graduation ceremony.
    “Ash, I am quite fine with just getting my hair done. There is no need for a
manicure and a pedicure.”
    “Of course there is a need for a mani/pedi. Mom said to pamper ourselves, Ali.”
    “Fine we’ll get them done, just don’t come crying to me when you get read the
riot act.”
    With that my sister and I continued on with our graduation preparations. By 5pm,
the four of us were ready. Mom had broken the news our Aunts and Uncles in
regards to the mandate from the Principal and Vice Principal. Apparently Jethro
had attempted to have a word or two with the Principal and Vice Principal, but
he had been deterred thankfully by our mother and Jen.
    As the graduation ceremony progressed later that evening with our
graduating class processing up to the stage row by row to receive our diploma
sleeves from the Principal.
   “Jaliyah Ava Mackensie.” The Principal called as I walked across the
stage.
   “Noah James Mackensie.”
    Noah followed suit.
   “Ashleann Rachel Mackensie.”
   Ashleann mimicked Noah and I as she had for eighteen years.
   “Drew Michael Mackensie Jr.”
   I had noticed as I walked across the stage that my mom was in tears. In all my
eighteen years I had never once seen my mother cry this much. Nor had my
brothers and sister. It was quite odd to see the person known as Kate Todd by
all of NCIS show a bit of emotion due to her law enforcement background. It was
odd to see Kate Todd, former Secret Service Agent turned NCIS Special Agent cry
like she was.
  But then I realized it wasn’t NCIS Special Agent Kate Todd that was
crying. It was my mother, Kate Todd-Mackensie that was crying at the fact that
her babies were adults. That her four babies that she had carried for nine
months were adults. That in a mere two and a half months she and Dad would come
home from the office every night to an empty house instead of what they had been
accustomed to coming home to.
 It was at the moment when we had walked by our parents and brother
that I had a new found respect for my mother. At that moment she wasn’t just my
mom who was a federal agent, she was both. My mother and a Special Agent.