Not an uncomfortable silence. A heavy one. The kind that forces reflection.
I stood up.
“My father isn’t leaving,” I said, my voice steady despite the emotion burning in my chest. “He’s not an embarrassment. He’s the reason I’m standing here today.”
Ethan stepped beside me without hesitation.
“If anyone has a problem with that,” he said calmly, “they’re free to leave.”
Some people did.
And that was fine.
My father stayed. Right where he belonged. By my side.
