"Do you think Dad knows what time the ceremony starts?"
Vanessa immediately stopped scrolling.
"Emily."
"I'm just asking."
"Why are you bringing him up again?"
"He sent me a message."
Vanessa's expression hardened.
"What message?"
Emily hesitated.
"He said he would be there."
For several seconds, Vanessa said nothing.
Then she laughed.
It wasn't a warm laugh.
It was the kind of laugh people use when they want to make something sound ridiculous without having to explain why.
"Of course he did."
"What does that mean?"
"It means your father has always been good at making promises."
Emily turned toward her.
"He said he wouldn't miss it."
"Your father has missed every important moment of your life."
"Maybe he had a reason."
Vanessa's jaw tightened.
"Don't start defending him."
"I'm not defending him. I just want to know what happened."
"Nothing happened. He left."
"Why?"
"Because he was selfish."
"Then why did you keep all his letters?"
The question slipped out before Emily could stop herself.
Vanessa went completely still.
"What letters?"
Emily looked at her.
"The ones in the old wooden box in the storage room. There were dozens of them. They had my name on them."
Vanessa's face lost some of its color.
For a moment, the only sound inside the car was the rain hitting the windows.
Then Vanessa looked away.
"You had no right to go through my belongings."
"They weren't your belongings. They were letters addressed to me."
"Your father sent those letters to manipulate you."
Emily's eyes filled with confusion.
"Why didn't you give them to me?"
"Because I was protecting you."
"From what?"
Vanessa turned toward the window.
"From disappointment."
Emily looked down at her hands.
She had spent ten years believing that her father had forgotten her.
Now she was beginning to wonder whether someone had made sure she would never hear from him.
Daniel arrived at the university twenty minutes before the ceremony. The rain had stopped, but the sky remained cloudy.
Students in graduation gowns crowded the entrance. Parents carried cameras, flowers, and gift bags. Families laughed as they took photographs.
Daniel stood near the back doors.
He felt out of place.
Most of the fathers wore suits. Some wore expensive watches and polished shoes.
Daniel looked down at his own jacket.
There was a small tear near the left sleeve. He had tried to repair it that morning, but the stitching was uneven.
His shoes were clean, although the leather had become cracked with age.
He considered leaving.
Perhaps he should have called Emily first. Perhaps he should have bought better clothes. Perhaps he should have waited until she was somewhere private.
But then he remembered her message.
I hope you can come, Dad.
She had sent those words three weeks earlier.
He had read them hundreds of times.
He couldn't leave now.
A university employee approached him.
"Sir, are you looking for someone?"
Daniel smiled nervously.
"My daughter is graduating today."
"Wonderful. Do you have your invitation?"
Daniel reached into his pocket and produced the printed invitation Emily had mailed to him.
The employee checked it.
"Name?"
"Daniel Carter."
The employee looked at the list.
"Emily Carter?"
Daniel's eyes brightened.
"Yes. That's my daughter."
"Congratulations, sir. You can enter through those doors. Family seating is on the right."
"Thank you."
Daniel walked inside.
He chose a place near the back because he didn't want to draw attention.
He could see the stage. He could see the rows of graduates.
And after several minutes, he spotted Emily.
She was standing with her classmates. Her gown was dark blue. A gold-colored stole rested around her shoulders.
Her hair was braided neatly, and she wore the same small silver necklace he had given her on her tenth birthday.
Daniel's throat tightened.
For a moment, he couldn't breathe.
She looked so much like the little girl he remembered.
But she was no longer a child.
She was a woman.
A woman who had accomplished something extraordinary.
Daniel smiled through his tears.
"Look at you, sweetheart," he whispered.
He held the yellow roses a little tighter.
Vanessa entered the gymnasium a few minutes later.
She was immediately greeted by several people.
"Vanessa! What a beautiful day!"
"Your daughter looks wonderful!"
"You must be so proud."
Vanessa smiled and accepted their compliments.
"Thank you. Emily has worked very hard."
She guided her guests toward the reserved seating area.
Then she noticed Daniel.
At first, she didn't recognize him.
He stood near the back, partially hidden behind a group of relatives.
His hair was shorter than she remembered. His face was thinner. There were deep lines around his eyes.
But the way he held the flowers was unmistakable.
Vanessa stopped walking.
Her smile disappeared.
Daniel saw her at almost the same moment.
For several seconds, they stared at each other.
He didn't approach.
He simply nodded.
Vanessa's fingers tightened around her handbag.
She walked toward him.
"What are you doing here?"
Daniel looked at her calmly.
"My daughter invited me."
"She invited you?"
"Yes."
"After all these years?"
Daniel glanced toward the graduates.
"Today is her day. I don't want an argument."
Vanessa lowered her voice.
"You can't just walk into this place looking like that."
Daniel looked down at his jacket.
"I know I don't look like the other fathers."
"That's not what I mean."
"Then what do you mean?"
Vanessa looked around to make sure nobody was listening.
"You are embarrassing us."
Daniel's expression changed slightly.
He had expected anger. He had expected coldness.
But somehow, those words still hurt.
"I'm not here for you, Vanessa."
"You think you can appear after ten years and pretend nothing happened?"
"No."
"Then why come?"
Daniel looked at Emily.
"Because she asked me to."
Vanessa followed his gaze.
"She doesn't understand what you are."
Daniel lowered his eyes.
"Maybe you're right."
Vanessa seemed surprised by his answer.
He continued quietly.
"But she knows who I am to her."
Before Vanessa could respond, a university employee asked everyone to take their seats.