He did not read it.
Slowly, he folded the pages in half. Then he folded them again and placed them inside his gown pocket.
A nervous murmur moved through the faculty behind him. Dr. Bennett smiled politely, but her eyes looked uncertain.
Daniel adjusted the microphone. Feedback screeched, and the room fell silent.
“I had a speech prepared today,” he began, his voice steady. “It was exactly what you’d expect. Perseverance. Gratitude. The future. A couple of mild jokes, two inspirational quotes, and a paragraph about how proud we should all be.”
Soft laughter moved through the room.
Daniel smiled faintly. “But something happened this morning. And while I sat there watching this room fill up, I realized I couldn’t give that speech.”
I stopped breathing.
Mark’s shoulders stiffened. Brianna lowered her phone.
