Chapter One Hundred Seventy: The Doctor
Samuel graduated from medical school on a sunny Saturday in June.
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 green.
Lina sat in the front row, Ethan beside her. Victoria and Victor and Katherine sat behind them. Lily and Jake sat with Grace and Clara. 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 grandson was graduating from medical school.
She thought about the first time Samuel had said he wanted to be a doctor. He was five years old, sitting at the kitchen table, a book about the human body in his hands. She thought about the first time he had shadowed a physician. He was sixteen, nervous and excited, calling every night. She thought about the first time he had been accepted into medical school. He was twenty-two, quiet and determined, already planning his future.
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.
Samuel sat in the second row, his cap slightly askew, his expression serious.
Lina watched him and cried.
Ethan held her hand.
"He'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."
---
Samuel's name was called.
He walked across the stage, his diploma in his hand, his expression serious. The crowd cheered. His friends applauded. His family whistled.
Lina clapped until her hands hurt.
Ethan whistled.
The family cheered.
---
After the ceremony, the families gathered on the lawn.
Samuel was surrounded by friends, taking photographs, exchanging hugs. Lina walked over to him.
"I'm proud of you," she said.
Samuel hugged her. "Thank you, Grandma."
"Do you have any idea how proud?"
Samuel's eyes filled with tears. "I think so."
Lina pulled her grandson into her arms.
"I'm so proud of you," she whispered. "More than words can say."
Samuel hugged her back.
"I love you, Grandma," he 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 Grace and Clara, 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.
Samuel told the story of graduation again and again, adding new details each time.
Grace asked questions about medical school. Stella asked about his specialty. Clara danced around the living room. 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 him. From seeing him shine."
Ethan put his arm around her. "He gets it from you."
"Get what?"
"The shining. The confidence. The ability to help people."
Lina leaned into him. "He gets it from you too."
"Maybe. Or maybe he gets it from himself. Maybe he's just who he'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.
---
End of Chapter One Hundred Seventy