I woke up early on the day of the graduation ceremony full of dread. It was going to be so hard to see everyone with their proud parents, while I was alone. Martin’s mom was very loving and accepting of me, but it wasn’t the same.

I wanted my parents to be there. Well, I wanted my parents to be there, only if they could love and accept me.

I had another nightmare about them the night before the ceremony. I dreamt that they showed up with Sebastian in tow. When I woke up, I thought it really happened. It wouldn’t have been anything out of the ordinary to make one last appeal to me.

I had given up on packing things in an orderly matter. I stuffed things into suitcases. The school was gracious enough to give us an extra day to pack, so I wouldn’t have to move out until tomorrow.

I checked my email to see if my final grades were in. They were—I got all As this semester. I was graduating with honors! I was so excited that I almost deleted an unread email.

It was from my grandparents. I was surprised, because I didn’t even know my mom’s parents knew how to use the computer. Maybe a maid helped them.

Alexa, it read. We are so proud of you for graduating from such a fine school. We regretfully cannot attend the ceremony, but we have made a deposit in your account for your gift. Send you parents our love when you see them today.

Grandmother and Grandfather

I was stunned. My parents were coming today? Why didn’t they say anything? Maybe my grandparents were confused. I’m sure my mom hadn’t said much to them about our falling out.

I checked my bank account. There was five thousand dollars added to it yesterday. Not too shabby.

I disregarded the message from my grandparents. There was no way my parents would show.

I called Martin to make sure he was awake and getting ready for graduation. Unsurprisingly, he hadn’t even gotten out of bed.

“Get ready,” I screeched. “We have to be there in thirty minutes!”

“Whoa,” he said sleepily. “What’s with the panicking?”

I told him about the weird email I got this morning.

“Maybe they are coming,” he said. “Would that be such a bad thing?”

I wasn’t sure. I wanted them to come, because I wanted everything to be okay between us. I also didn’t want them to come, because I didn’t know how they would react to Martin.

“Maybe my dad will come,” I said hopefully.

My mom was never supportive of me getting an education. She thought it was unnecessary. I thought her opinion was setting women back about a hundred years. My dad, on the other hand, quietly urged me to go to college. He was thrilled when I got into such a good school. He took education seriously.

I curled my hair, finished applying my makeup, and put on one of my favorite Tory Burch dresses. I found a pair of matching shoes that I had yet to pack, and slipped them on. I grabbed my cap and gown, and rushed out the door.

We were seated alphabetically, so Martin was quite a few rows back. The ceremony was taking forever, and I was getting bored. I wanted to talk to him, to listen to him crack jokes about the various speakers. He always knew how to entertain me.

I kept scanning the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of my parents. If they didn’t show up today, what chance would I ever have to reconcile with them? The auditorium was packed with proud parents. It was hard to pick anyone out of this crowd.

After what seemed like hours, it was finally time to go on stage and get our diplomas. My row lined up and waited to go on stage.

As I slowly made my way up to the front, I was more positive that my parents wouldn’t show. Each step I took felt like a small stab in the heart.

I was about four people away from receiving my diploma when I saw a hand waving from the corner of my eye. I froze. My parents were sitting in the stands. My dad was beaming and my mom had a sour expression on her face. She didn’t look enthused, but her presence meant a lot.

“Hey,” the guy behind me whispered. I was so caught up in seeing my parents that I forgot to keep walking. I walked up on stage, shook the dean’s hand and received my Ivy League diploma.

I was a college graduate, I had an amazing boyfriend, and my parents were here to support me. Things might actually work out for me after all.

I sat back in my seat, trying not to stare up at my parents. I thought about what I would say to them after the ceremony.

Would I mention Martin? Would I introduce them? I decided that I would wait to see what their mood was like before springing any surprises on them.

When Martin’s name was called, the auditorium erupted in cheers. I always forgot about the celebrity he had at this school. He was one of the best quarterbacks this school had seen in a long time.

He looked a little embarrassed to be receiving so much attention. I was a proud girlfriend. I was one of the very few people who knew how big of an accomplishment this was for someone of his background. This school was filled with people like me, who grew up with all of the connections and resources in the world. Martin got here all on his own.

I was proud of myself for making it this far without a lot of emotional support from my family, but I was even more proud of him. I didn’t know what our future together would hold, but I was ready to find out.