Mary’s eyes flashed angrily. Apart from Phyllis, who hadn’t been back to school, she hadn’t told a soul about the proposal. So Sam must have shared it with his buddies. How dare he…

“Is it?” Sylvia stared at her expectantly.

What should she say? “I don’t respond to idle gossip.”

“You don’t have to be snippy about it. I was only asking whether or not it was true. It’s not gossip if you ask the source.”

“Okay, everyone,” the principal intoned. “The band is about to play ‘Pomp & Circumstance.’ When you hear the first notes, that’s your cue to start marching in. As we practiced, fill in the seats until there are no empty chairs in the row, then start the next row.”

The sound of the trombones playing saved Mary from having to respond to Sylvia, though she continued to seethe about Sam’s obvious indiscretion. She marched in with the rest of her classmates and took a seat toward the end of the second-to-last row. She twisted in her chair, craning to see where her mother and Sam were sitting. The auditorium was packed with graduates and spectators, and she couldn’t pick them out, although she knew they were somewhere in the throng. Maybe it was just as well that she couldn’t see Sam at the moment.

As the first speaker droned on, Mary nearly dropped off to sleep. She willed herself to pay attention. When that didn’t work, she removed her father’s letter from her pocket and unfolded it. Slowly, painstakingly, after reading each word and sentence multiple times, she managed her way through it.

My dearest Pumpkin,

I’m sorrier than you know that I can’t be with you on your big day. I’m sure you’ll be the prettiest girl on that stage, and I am the proudest father of any of the graduates.

Your mother tells me that you’ve been at logger heads with her over Sam, and that he’s asked you to marry him. She says you haven’t yet given him an answer. I wish I was there in person to advise you.

Please know that no boy is going to be good enough in my eyes for my only daughter, but what I’ve seen of him over the time you’ve been dating leads me to believe he’d be a good husband to you and a good father.