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I nodded, glancing out past the bright lights of the stage and focusing on my little section of fans. I could barely see my father’s face, but it looked like he was crying. “Yes, sir. My whole family is.”

“Congratulations, son. I wish you all the best.”

The announcer called the name of the student behind me, and I turned to walk off the other side of the stage. Kate was waiting for me there, and I pulled her in to give her a small kiss, my excitement that we were finally there making this moment even sweeter.

“What a day, huh?” she said, wrapping an arm around my waist as we headed down to the chairs left open for students in the auditorium.

I chuckled. “Yep. We finally made it. Now on to the rest of our lives.”

“Well, at least college. When do you have to be at Texas A&M?” She beamed up at me, still so proud that I’d secured a scholarship to play baseball there.

“Not until after Labor Day. What about design school?”

“Same. That means we have the whole summer together.” She wrapped her other arm around my waist, pulling in to hug me.

“Then let’s make it the best summer yet.”

Six months earlier, I didn’t think my life was worth much, that the people in it didn’t care whether I succeeded or failed, but I was wrong. And now I had an amazing girlfriend, my father was a father again, and I had the opportunity to play the sport I loved in college. What could be better than all that?

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