Next came Brooke.
Instead of walking normally, she paused halfway across and did a tiny victory dance.
The entire row around me laughed.
“That’s my daughter!” I shouted.
Brooke pointed at me from the stage.
Last came Sophie.
She walked slowly.
Calm.
Serious.
When the diploma was placed in her hand, she looked directly toward my section.
Our eyes met.
She smiled.
For a moment, I couldn’t hear anything around me.
I thought that was it.
The moment I had been working toward for twenty-two years.
I was wrong.
Just before the closing remarks, the university president stepped toward the microphone.
“We have one additional presentation requested by three of today’s graduates.”
My stomach fluttered.
Then Lily, Brooke, and Sophie returned to the stage together.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
Brooke was already crying.
That terrified me more than anything.
Sophie took the microphone.
She looked into the audience.
