Cancer.
Her dress.
Her last request.
The laughter that had filled the room less than two minutes earlier was replaced by a silence so heavy it almost hurt.
Then Jordan appeared beside us.
His face was red.
He looked at Eli.
“Man…”
Eli wiped his eyes.
Jordan shook his head.
“I messed up.”
Eli didn’t answer.
“I should’ve asked you why.”
“You could have.”
“I know.”
Jordan looked down.
“I’m sorry.”
Eli stared at him for a moment.
Then pulled him into a hug.
That nearly destroyed me all over again.
A few minutes later, Principal Bennett stepped to the microphone.
She looked shaken.
“We’re going to pause for just a moment.”
The auditorium quieted.
She looked toward Eli.
Then toward me.
“I owe one of our graduates an apology.”
People shifted in their seats.
“A week ago, our office contacted Elias Carter and suggested that the way he planned to honor his sister might not be appropriate for graduation.”
