Graduating from high school is a milestone we all look forward to.
It is an experience shared with those we love the most because it represents a chapter in our lives that we will always remember as a precious memory.
For a young woman named Britt, the day was a roller coaster of emotions. She was very proud of herself for graduating from high school, but at the same time, her heart sank at the thought that her mom and her stepdad might not show up. Between the camera flashes and the crowd, she hoped to see familiar faces.
She kept looking around as she sat next to her classmates.
“They’re probably running late,” she tried to convince herself. “Or maybe they’re stuck in traffic. They’ll be here any minute.”
As the names were called, Britt looked around, and when it was finally her turn to take the stage, she put a smile on her face. With her diploma in hand, Britt prayed to see her mother smile and her stepfather give a thumbs up, but it didn’t happen. They were nowhere to be seen.
He must be here somewhere, she thought as she walked past the place.
Once she realized they weren’t there and probably weren’t coming at all, Britt checked her phone. There was a message: “Sorry, we couldn’t make it. Something happened with your stepsister. We’ll celebrate later.”
Congratulations!”
Britt was incredibly worried. She wondered what could be more important than her graduation and couldn’t wait to get home and be there for her parents.
Iris, her half-sister, has always thrown tantrums and wanted to be the center of attention, but what could go wrong this time?
Britt was standing there all alone and felt a hand on her shoulder.
It was Justin’s, prom date. “Hello are you ok?” he asked her as he realized something was terribly wrong.
Britt couldn’t answer because she felt a lump in her throat.
Instead of words, tears began to roll down her cheeks.
“Oh honey, come here,” Justin’s mother said as she hugged her. “You are not alone, I was there for you.
They did everything they could to make Britt not feel alone and tried to fill the void.
After celebrating with Justin’s family, Britt headed home. Once there she saw her mom and stepfather on the couch watching TV like any other day.
What’s more, they even looked relaxed.
Britt’s anger bubbled up. “Hey, where have you been?” she asked in a trembling voice. “You missed my graduation.
Her mother, looking embarrassed, saw, “Your stepsister broke her nail. She threw a huge tantrum and demanded we take her to the beauty salon to get it fixed immediately. She was inconsolable, Britt.”
Britt said in disbelief, “A broken nail? You missed my graduation because Iris broke her nail and melted?”
Iris didn’t even bother to raise her head and said, “It was urgent for me.”
It was then that Britt realized how skewed her parents’ priorities were. It wasn’t that she didn’t know Iris was their favorite, but this was the breaking point. “Are you serious?” she exclaimed. “Do you even realize how much that meant to me?”
Unable to meet her eyes, her mother said, “Britt, we’re sorry. We’ll celebrate later, I promise.”
After thinking it over, Britt decided it would be best to leave the house for a while. So the lady called.
Anderson, Justin’s mother. She said in a shaky voice, “Good evening, Mrs. Anderson. I want to ask you a favor.
But I don’t know how…”
“Go on Brittany. What is it?” Mrs. Anderson answered in her sweet voice.
“Can I stay with you for a while? I had a fight with my family and I have to get out of here.”
Justin’s mom didn’t hesitate. “Of course darling. You’re always welcome.”
Britt packed her things and headed for the front door. “I’m leaving,” she said.
“I need some time away from this house, from you.
Her mother tried to stop her, but it was too late.
In the following weeks, Britt was able to find a job and eventually an apartment.
She ignored her parents’ calls and wanted no contact with them.
Years later, as she was about to graduate from college, Britt decided to give them a chance at redemption, so she called them on the phone and invited them to her graduation. She believed she owed it to her to be there this time.
Unfortunately, history repeated itself. On the day of her graduation, Britt’s mother and stepfather did not show up. The reason why? Iris, who was pregnant at the time, had a craving for a particular cake from a cake shop in the next town and they were stuck in traffic. Just like the first time, they apologized with a lame text message.
That was another blow from the people who should have been Britt’s biggest supporters. After the ceremony Justin found Britt. “They didn’t come, did they?” he said quietly. “No, they didn’t,” she replied.
Justin was always there for her, he felt like the closest person she had in her life, and eventually, they started a relationship and moved in together. Britt was happy with the way her life was going, but the pain of not having her parents in her life took time to get over.
Looking back, Britt realized that even if they get a second chance, some will waste it and let them down over and over again.
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Bored Dad
Love and peace