"He raised me to do the right thing, even when it's hard."
The principal stepped forward onto the field. "I think, after everything we just witnessed, there's only one person who should walk this graduate across the stage."
The crowd erupted.
I slipped my arm through my dad's.
As we started toward the stage, I leaned closer to him. "You know you're stuck with me forever, right?"
He laughed softly. "Best decision I ever made."
"There's only one person who should walk this graduate across the stage."
Maybe blood matters. Maybe biology leaves fingerprints on a life.
But I had learned something stronger than that.
A parent is the one who stays when staying costs everything.
