I burst out of my seat and cheer as loudly as I can while my beautiful girl, my beautiful stepsister, my beautiful wife walks across the stage in her hat and gown to collect her college diploma.
“Go, Eleanor!” Linda shouts beside me as she claps loudly.
Even my father is standing up and cheering. We’re like her own personal fan club.
I can feel my lungs expanding with pride as she takes the diploma and shakes the dean’s hand. She’s worked so hard for this. I’m so fucking proud of her.
All the late nights, the study sessions, the frustration—it’s all cumulating in this moment. I hope she remembers it for the rest of her life because I certainly will.
She finds me in the crowd and flashes me a winning smile before she walks off the stage as a Princeton graduate.
The three of us sit down, but the smiles don’t leave our faces. We’re all beaming.
We cut out before the long ceremony finishes and find her in the lobby. She squeals in delight as she runs to me and jumps in my arms. I catch her and spin her around, breathing in her familiar comforting scent. This is home right here.
Linda is waiting anxiously for us to finish. When I finally let Eleanor go, she jumps on her and tells her how proud of her she is.
My father steps up beside me. “I’m so proud of her,” he whispers.
“Me too,” I say as I watch her stunning smile.
“I’m proud of you too.”
My head jerks around and I stare at him in shock. We’ve all worked things out over the years and have been mostly comfortable with the situation, as weird as it is, but I never expected this. My relationship with my dad has been better than it’s ever been, but this is the first time he’s ever said he’s proud of me.
“You are?”
He nods as he shifts uneasily. “Yeah. I am. You have a great job, you’re a loving supportive husband, you look after my stepdaughter and treat her with the utmost respect. You’re doing great, son.”
I can’t seem to pick my jaw up off the floor. I never thought I’d hear these words from my father of all people.
“I’m sorry I doubted you with the car,” he says. “I should have fought for you. I should have listened. I know now that you weren’t trying to steal it. You lost a year of your life and it’s my fault. I don’t think you’ll ever forgive me, but I hope you can try.”
“I forgive you,” I tell him. “Let’s just start over.”
His face fills up with hope. “Really?”
I nod.
He puts out his hand for a shake, but I ignore it and give him a hug instead. He’s shocked at first, but then wraps his arms around me and hugs me back.
Both Linda and Eleanor are teary-eyed when we finally pull away.
“Awww,” Linda says. “I’m so happy. What a happy day!”
Eleanor grabs her mother’s arm and pulls her toward us. The four of us do a group hug and for once, everything is falling into place.
I have my family, my girl, and there’s a diploma in her hand.
That means one thing…
School’s out.
We made a pact. She’ll stop taking birth control once she graduates.
Now that she’s a Princeton grad, her ripe little womb is going to be open for business.
I can’t wait to get started…
Tonight!
* * *
The End!