Hello, everyone. I need to share something that’s weighed heavily on me for a long time. A few years ago, I graduated from school, a day I had worked so hard for and was incredibly proud of. I was excited to share this milestone with my family, especially my parents, who I thought had supported me throughout my journey. However, their absence that day has haunted me ever since.

The ceremony was buzzing with excitement: students in their caps and gowns, families cheering, and cameras flashing everywhere. As I sat among my classmates, waiting for my name to be called, I experienced a blend of nervousness and joy.

I was scanning the crowd for my mom and stepdad, convinced they were somewhere in the sea of faces, maybe just out of my line of sight. “They’re probably running late,” I kept telling myself. “Or maybe stuck in traffic. They’ll be here any minute.”

As names were called one by one, I kept glancing around, trying to spot them. Every time a door opened or someone moved in the audience, my heart would leap, but then sink again when it wasn’t them. I reassured myself over and over, thinking they couldn’t possibly miss this. It’s my graduation, for crying out loud.

Finally, it was my turn. I walked up to the stage, my heart pounding in my chest. I shook hands with the principal, took my diploma, and glanced out at the crowd again, hoping, praying to see my mom’s proud smile or my stepdad’s thumbs up.

But there was nothing. I forced a smile for the camera and walked back to my seat, the lump in my throat growing by the second. When the ceremony ended, I rushed to where families were gathered, hoping to see my parents’ familiar faces.

“They must be here somewhere,” I thought. I walked around, scanning every group, feeling more and more desperate. After a while, I decided to check my phone, thinking maybe they had texted me about a delay.

There it was: a message from my mom. My heart pounded as I opened it, expecting to read about some minor hiccup that had kept them away. But what I saw made my jaw drop and my heart sink.

“Sorry, we couldn’t make it. Something came up with your stepsister. We’ll celebrate later. Congrats!”

I stood there, staring at my phone, my hands trembling. “Are you kidding me?” I thought. “What could have possibly been more important than my graduation?”

My stepsister Iris, who has always been the center of their attention, had obviously thrown some kind of tantrum. But what could it have been this time?

Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Justin, my prom date. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked, concern written all over his face.

I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat. Tears welled up in my eyes, and before I knew it, they were streaming down my cheeks.

Justin’s mom, Mrs. Anderson, saw what was happening and quickly stepped in. “Oh sweetheart, come here,” she said, pulling me into a warm hug. “You’re not alone, we’re here for you.”

They took me into their family photos, congratulated me, and made sure I didn’t feel alone. If it weren’t for them, I don’t know how I would have gotten through that day.