The high school gymnasium was packed full. It was insanely hot inside and it was quite loud as well. On his mother’s lap, baby Jack squirmed and wiggled, not wanting to sit. He wanted to up, to run and to play!
“Daaaad,” Abbi whined. “How much longer until it starts?” They had arrived about an hour prior, in order to get a good seat on the uncomfortable bleachers. They wanted to make sure, after all, that they were able to see Julie when she walked across the stage and received her high school diploma!
“Soon,” he assured her, though honestly, he had no idea. The school’s band had already taken it’s place at the side of the bleachers, but that meant nothing. These things never started on time after all, did they?
“My butt hurts,” she complained rather loudly, causing several people in the general vicinity to snicker. JC rolled his eyes before moving his camera onto the bench beside him. He patted his lap gently in a welcome and in no time at all, the little girl had perched herself comfortably on his lap.
In almost no time at all, JC watched as the doors to the entrance of the gym opened and the band began playing Pomp and Circumstance, the graduation march. In filed the students, two by two, boy and girl side by side. He felt tears sting his eyes when he saw his daughter towards the head of the line, looking exceptionally pretty, even in the ugly graduation gown that the students were forced to wear.
He watched as she moved to her spot in the first row of seats and then he watched her glance around, trying to locate her family. Once she settled her eyes on them, he smiled and waved proudly, though he could clearly see the tears shimmering in her own eyes as she waved back and forced a smile to her face.
~*~
The ceremony before the passing out of the diplomas was especially long, and rather boring. JC could clearly see the soon-to-be graduates fidgeting in their seats, anxious to get their diplomas. He couldn’t blame them. In his mother’s lap, poor old Jack had conked out, having absolutely no interest in what was going on before him.
As soon as the speaker finished talking, the principal and superintendent of schools took the stage, and immediately, the demeanor of the students changed. No longer were they disinterested and they all straightened immediately. It was almost amusing to see.
JC couldn’t believe that this was it. This was the end of an era when it came to his daughter. She was no longer his sweet little girl. She had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. He gave only half of his attention as the principal began naming names and he didn’t even watch to see the young people walk across the stage to receive their diploma. Not until the sound of his daughter’s name reached his ears.
“Julie Chasez.”
His attention snapped to the stage immediately as he saw his daughter fumble slightly on the steps, causing a laugh from several members of the audience. He could see her little face, red as a tomato as she giggled nervously and walked towards the principal. She shook his hand proudly before accepting the diploma from him.
As she turned to head off of the stage, she shot one more glance in her family’s direction, the smile radiating off of her face. She had done it.
~*~
At the end of the ceremony, the crowd in the gymnasium had dispersed to the parking lot of the school to wait for the graduates. JC, Jen, Jack and Abbi were standing beside the flagpole, waiting for Julie. Jen was an absolutely blubbery mess, unable to believe that their little girl was all grown up!
Although she was not Julie’s real mother, she never thought of her as anything but a daughter. She loved her dearly as one of her own and had always raised her as such. It was such a wonderful feeling to know that she had helped shape her into the beautiful young lady she had become.
The sight of Julie coming towards them in her over-sized graduation gown was enough to send Jen over the edge once more. JC could only laugh as he held his arms out for her. “I’m so proud of you baby,” he whispered as he hugged her tightly.
“I did it!” she cried out, her hands still shaking slightly. “I fell up the steps and oh my goodness! That was so embarrassing! But I did it!”
She did it. He closed his eyes as he embraced her tightly. There were so many things that she had had to face in her short life already, such as the abuse she’d endured during her first three years, a falling out with her so-called best friend and an attempted rape. But she had come through all of that and here she was, all grown up.
It was the saddest, yet proudest moment of his life.
She did it.
~Fin
