Mom is still talking. Something about how they almost missed the shuttle, but all I can do is nod, my chest full and heavy. I can’t explain, even if I wanted to.
She is it. And I am completely gone.
Dad’s hand claps against my shoulder again, a little firmer this time, dragging my focus back to him.
“Ash”—he chuckles—“you’re somewhere else, kid.”
“Yeah—sorry,” I mutter, blinking hard and forcing my eyes off Amelia. She is still with the little girl, her laugh carrying just enough over the crowd to make my chest tighten.
Dad doesn’t miss it. I catch the ghost of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth before he clears his throat.
“You did good today. Real good.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Mom is still beaming, dabbing the corner of her eye like she thought I wouldn’t notice.
“We almost missed half of it because someone couldn’t find her phone charger,” Dad teases, jerking his thumb at Mom, who smacks his arm playfully.
“You said gate twelve when it was twenty-one!” she shoots back.
I chuckle, shaking my head. This is them. Pure, chaotic love.
Dad’s smile softens before he sighs and glances at his watch. “We gotta head out—airport’s calling. Gotta get back to North Carolina before your mom plans another detour.”
Mom rolls her eyes but grabs me for one last hug.
“We’re so damn proud of you, Ash,” Dad says, his voice dipping into something heavier, something that hits square in my chest. “Enjoy this. The ride, all of it. You earned it.”
I swallow hard, the lump in my throat stubborn as hell.
“Thanks, Dad. Really.”
They both give me one last squeeze before turning toward the crowd.
I barely last three seconds before my eyes drift right back to Amelia.
Still with the little girl. Still somehow the brightest thing in the whole damn place.
Yeah. Enjoy the ride.
I am already on it.
The crowd is finally thinning out, the post-event buzz slowly dissolving into the softer hum of people heading out—programs tucked under arms, a few last photos snapped, voices fading into the distance. I am still riding the high, that wired, restless energy buzzing through me, when a loud voice cracks through the calm.
“LET’S GOOOO!”
Noah barrels toward me, grinning like a kid who just found the golden ticket.
“First show in the bag, and we crushed it!” He practically tackles me in a half hug, half headlock before pulling back, eyes wide with pure excitement. “Dude, it’s time to celebrate!”
I can’t help the laugh that breaks out of me. His energy is impossible to ignore.
“Yeah?” I grin, breathless. “You think?”
“I know!” he shouts, throwing his arms up before punching the air. “We’re hitting the bar tonight. No excuses!”
I turn, eyes already searching, and find her.
