Everyone started laughing, but beside me, Evie was sinking down in her seat with her hands over her eyes.
“Mama, up you get. Say hi,” Elora yelled at her mom, making everyone laugh harder.
“Before I give her enough to kill me with, I need to mention a change that happened and the reason my class elected me as the person to speak today. When I was eleven, a man came into my life called Alex Bell. Sorry, Detective Alex Bell.
“He gave me his time even when he was busy, he gave me his attention even when he needed to focus on something, and Alex never once made me feel like I wasn’t enough for him.”
He didn’t say it, but left unsaid were the words ‘unlike my dad.’
“And then he helped me through a health problem and never went away. He fell in love with my mom, and the rest is history.”
Elora crawled off Evie’s lap onto mine, but when I went to wrap my arms around her, she just kept on going until she got to her big brother. At four, she was way too big to be doing it, but she was absolutely ruined by all of us, especially her big brothers and her aunt.
“He’s doing well,” Walton said as he leaned between the two of us. “He stuttered and drooled through most of the rehearsals.”
“Sit back, dear.”
“I’m comfortable right here, thanks. Unless my beautiful grandbaby wants to come say hi to her grandpa?”
Sighing, she stood up on DB’s thighs, making him grunt, and then held her arms out, totally making the point that she was doing this as a favor to him.
Not that he cared, though. Nope, Walton just took Elora and sat back down again.
“Told you it’d work,” he whispered, likely to Lesley or Roque, who were sitting on either side of him.
I was transfixed by my son, though, and what he was achieving on the stage. “Then along came my big brother, and he did the same thing. DB didn’t care that Mom had a kid or anything like that, he just liked that we were all happy. Between the three of them—”
“Ahem,” Elora shouted, and because it was so quiet, Cody heard it where he was.
“Sorry, snitch. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to amend my previous statement. Between the four of them, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, dogs, chickens, the people who sweep the streets—just kidding.”
Everyone burst out laughing, and I sat watching my boy open mouthed.
“He could do this as a profession,” DB murmured.
That’s what I’d been thinking.
“But because of them and the fact I have the best baby sister in the world, and an amazing lady called Mrs. Carpenter, who passed away three months ago, I’ve achieved things in my education that I didn’t think I would.
“Sometimes we don’t need to explain everything that’s going on, or that’s happened to us in vivid detail to people or on social media. Sometimes, just pointing out that people have made a difference to us is enough. So that’s what I’m doing today.
“Our journey is our story, and my journey is what started mine, thanks to my family. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to help you focus on what’s important instead of getting distracted by what isn’t. It can also be all that you need to power through things you never think you’ll get through.”
Then, turning to look at his class, he raised his fist in the air. “We’ve all supported and helped each other get to where we’re headed off to next. So let’s make it count.”
All of the students stood up and yelled, “Make it count!” back at him at the same time.
Once they’d seated themselves again, he grinned out at the parents. “I’ve had the privilege of growing up with your kids, and all I can do is thank you for creating such awesome people.”
The parents all stood up and began clapping.
“Here’s to rock and roll,” he yelled into the microphone.
“And he’s back,” DB said drily. “At least it was memorable.”
That it was. I doubt anyone would ever forget that speech.
Evie
The house felt that bit emptier without Cody in it, and I hated it. It’d been six months since he’d head to NYU, and I swear every day of it had dragged.
Sitting down in front of the camera, I took a deep breath and then leaned forward.
“This is going to be a little different from what we normally post on here, but we’ve decided to do a special mini-series for you all. It’s called ‘When You Know You’ve Found Your Forever.’ I’m starting us off today, and my girls will be doing their own soon.”