- “There’s something else I need to explain.”
- She turned toward Felix’s photograph.
- “My brother hated when people felt sorry for him.”
- She smiled faintly.
- “He got so annoyed when people talked to me instead of him, like being sick meant he couldn’t answer questions.”
-
A few students smiled.
- “He wanted people to remember he was funny. That he loved school. That he was terrible at basketball but kept playing anyway.”
- Her smile faded.
- “Before he died, he asked me not to put his picture somewhere just to make people feel sorry for him.”
- I remembered that conversation.
- Felix had been sitting in bed after an exhausting afternoon.
-
Emma was helping him with an assignment.
- He suddenly asked what she’d do if he didn’t make it to graduation.
- She told him to stop talking like that.
- He insisted.
- “Just don’t turn me into some sad picture everybody stares at. Make sure they remember I was actually part of the class.”
- Emma had promised.
-
I hadn’t understood how heavily that promise weighed on her.
- “I thought about what he said for a long time,” Emma continued.
- “And I know this looks ridiculous.”
- She glanced at the cutout.
- “Honestly, Felix probably would’ve made fun of it himself.”
- Gentle laughter passed through the room.
- “But when the school wouldn’t let me include even a small picture, I didn’t know what else to do.”
-
She straightened the gown.
- “So I made him big enough that nobody could overlook him.”
- I covered my mouth.
- Emma looked toward me.
- “Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the letter.”
- I shook my head.
-
She faced William again.
- “I wasn’t planning a speech. I hoped you’d let me carry him across the stage.”
- “Then why bring the letter?” he asked.
- “Because I wanted to be ready if you stopped me again.”
- She swallowed.
- “And because I needed to know whether your promise still meant anything.”
- For a long moment, nobody moved.
-
Then William approached the microphone.
- “Emma, I owe you an apology.”
- His voice carried through the gym.
- “I remember Felix. I remember his teachers speaking highly of him. And I remember writing that letter.”
- He glanced at the cutout.
- “When you contacted me about graduation, I treated your requests like scheduling problems. I didn’t consider what I’d promised your brother.”
-
Emma listened.
- “I was wrong to dismiss you. And especially wrong to embarrass you today.”
- He breathed deeply.
- “I’m sorry.”
- Emma looked down at Felix’s photograph.
- William stepped aside.
-
“If you’d still like to walk with your brother, you may.”
- For a moment, Emma couldn’t move.
- Then she nodded.
- “Thank you.”
- She adjusted Felix’s cap and lifted the cutout.
- As she approached the stage, a boy in the second row stood.
-
I vaguely recognized him from Felix’s school years.
