Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Nine: The Graduation
Grace graduated from aerospace engineering on a sunny Sunday in May.
The university campus was transformed into a sea of chairs, a stage, and a podium. Families filled the stands, their faces flushed with excitement and pride. The graduates sat in rows, their caps and gowns a sea of black and gold.
Lina sat in the front row, Ethan beside her. Victoria and Victor and Katherine sat behind them. Lily and Jake sat with Clara and Samuel. Leo and Maya sat with Stella and Daniel and baby Eleanor. David and his half-siblings were there too.
Lina's heart was pounding.
Her granddaughter was graduating.
She thought about the first time Grace had said she wanted to be an astronaut. She was four years old, sitting at the kitchen table, drawing pictures of stars. She thought about the first time Grace had gone to space camp. She was fourteen, nervous and excited, calling every night. She thought about the first time Grace had been accepted into the aerospace program. She was eighteen, screaming with joy, running around the penthouse.
And now this.
She was not ready.
But she had to be.
---
The ceremony began.
The dean spoke. The valedictorian spoke. The choir sang. The band played.
Grace sat in the second row, her cap slightly askew, her smile bright.
Lina watched her and cried.
Ethan held her hand.
"She's going to be fine," he said.
Lina leaned into him.
"I know," she said. "But I'm still going to cry."
"That's your job."
---
Grace's name was called.
She walked across the stage, her diploma in her hand, her smile bright. The crowd cheered. Her friends screamed. Her family applauded.
Lina clapped until her hands hurt.
Ethan whistled.
The family cheered.
---
After the ceremony, the families gathered on the lawn.
Grace was surrounded by friends, taking photographs, exchanging hugs. Lina walked over to her.
"I'm proud of you," she said.
Grace hugged her. "Thank you, Grandma."
"Do you have any idea how proud?"
Grace's eyes filled with tears. "I think so."
Lina pulled her granddaughter into her arms.
"I'm so proud of you," she whispered. "More than words can say."
Grace hugged her back.
"I love you, Grandma," she said.
Lina's eyes filled with tears.
"I love you too, sweetheart. More than anything."
---
The family celebrated that night.
The penthouse was filled with people—Victoria and Victor and Katherine, David and his half-siblings, Lily and Jake and Clara and Samuel, Leo and Maya and Stella and Daniel and baby Eleanor, Emily and Hope, friends and neighbors and the particular chaos of a family that had something to celebrate.
Grace told the story of graduation again and again, adding new details each time.
Stella asked questions about the ceremony. Clara danced around the living room. Samuel explained the physics of mortarboards. Eleanor slept through it all.
Lina watched them and felt her heart swell.
---
Later, after the guests had gone home and the family was asleep, Lina sat on the couch with Ethan.
The penthouse was quiet. The twins were grown. The grandchildren were grown. The great-grandchildren were growing. The great-great-grandchild was dreaming.
"How do you feel?" Ethan asked.
"Full," Lina said. "Not from the cake. From... everything. From watching her. From seeing her shine."
Ethan put his arm around her. "She gets it from you."
"Get what?"
"The shining. The confidence. The ability to stand in front of a room full of people and not be afraid."
Lina leaned into him. "She gets it from you too."
"Maybe. Or maybe she gets it from herself. Maybe she's just who she's supposed to be."
Lina thought about that.
She thought about Grace, the astronaut. Stella, the scientist. Clara, the dancer. Samuel, the doctor. Eleanor, the dreamer. Aurora, the baby. All of them perfect, just as they were.
"I can't wait to see who they become," Lina said.
Ethan kissed her forehead.
"Neither can I," he said.
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End of Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Nine