Chapter 2
Dad drove faster than usual, but he stopped at every light.
I sat in the front seat with the cream envelope in my lap. Caleb and Ava were in the back. Vanessa had stayed home.
I had heard her say she wasn’t coming as we left. I hadn’t turned around.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked Dad.
“About the scholarship? I didn’t know.”
“I mean the ceremony. Why didn’t you call me when you changed your flight?”
“I wanted to surprise you.” He kept his eyes on the road. “I’m sorry. I should have called.”
I ran my thumb along the envelope’s edge.
Caleb leaned forward. “Nia, I should’ve given you the letter when I found it.”
“You found it tonight.”
“I saw it arrive last week.”
I turned around.
“Mom took it from the mail,” he said. “She opened it. I heard her talking to somebody about it later. I didn’t know she put it under the catalogs until today.”
“Who was she talking to?” Dad asked.
“I don’t know.”
Caleb looked miserable. He had tried to help me tonight, and I could tell he wished he had done it sooner.
I faced forward. “You gave it to me now.”
We reached school while the first families were going inside. Dad parked, and all four of us hurried to the auditorium.
My teacher, Ms. Harris, stood near the entrance. Her face lit up when she saw me.
“Nia! I was worried you weren’t coming.”
I glanced at Dad. “We made it.”
Ms. Harris squeezed my shoulder. “I saved a seat for your family.”
Dad introduced himself. She shook his hand, then noticed the envelope I was still carrying.
“You got the program letter,” she said.
Dad’s expression tightened. “We received it today.”
“Today?” She looked at me. “Oh, Nia.”
I hated the pity in her voice. I knew she meant well, but I wanted to be the girl receiving an award for five minutes. I didn’t want to be the girl who might have lost something.
Ms. Harris seemed to understand. “We’ll talk after the ceremony.”
Inside, the auditorium was nearly full. We slipped into a row near the back. Caleb sat beside me. Ava whispered that my ponytail looked nice.
When my name was called, I stood so quickly my chair knocked against the one behind it.
I walked to the stage. The principal read a few words about my grades, my science project, and the younger students I tutored on Wednesdays.
I searched the audience.
Dad was standing, clapping with both hands. Caleb and Ava were on their feet beside him.
I had imagined that moment for weeks. Seeing them there made my throat close. I smiled for the photograph and held the certificate with hands that wouldn’t stay still.
Afterward, Ms. Harris led us to her classroom. She found the program coordinator’s number and left a message explaining that I had only just seen my letter.
“We’ll call first thing in the morning too,” she promised.
“Is there usually a waiting list?” Dad asked.
“Yes. If they’ve offered the place to someone else, there may still be another opening later.”
I stood beside a display of student projects, listening to adults discuss my summer as if it could still go either way.
Ms. Harris turned to me. “Whatever happens, you earned that offer.”
I nodded, but I wanted the chance to go.
On the way out, Dad asked whether I wanted to celebrate with ice cream. I said yes. We went to a place still open near the school.
Ava wanted to sit beside me. Caleb bought an extra scoop with his allowance and slid it across the table because he knew chocolate was my favorite.
“You don’t have to buy me things,” I told him.
“I know.”
He picked up his spoon. “I wanted to.”
At home, the television was off. Vanessa sat at the dining table with her phone. She glanced at my certificate when we came in.
“Did you have a nice evening?”
“I did,” I said.
Dad told Caleb and Ava to get ready for bed. Ava hugged me before going upstairs. Caleb lingered until Dad nodded at him.
Once we were alone, Dad placed the scholarship letter on the table.
“Why did you hide it?” he asked.
“I didn’t hide it. I set it aside.”
“You opened mail addressed to Nia and kept it until the deadline passed.”
“I’m responsible for her when you travel.”
“We make decisions about the children together.”
Vanessa looked at me. “Are you going to stand there while he makes me sound cruel?”
I opened my mouth. Dad spoke first.
“Nia can stay if she wants. This concerns her.”
I pulled out a chair.
Vanessa watched me sit down. “The program is across the state. Six weeks. I didn’t want you away that long.”
“You could have asked me,” I said.
“You would have begged your father, and he would have agreed without thinking about Caleb and Ava.”
I stared at her. “They have summer plans too.”
“Exactly.”
“That doesn’t explain why you told me Dad didn’t care about tonight.”
She looked toward the window. “I was frustrated.”
Dad let out a slow breath. “You can’t use my daughter to punish me when we disagree.”
Vanessa pushed back her chair. “I’m tired of being accused in my own house.”
She went upstairs.
Dad sat down opposite me. For a moment, he looked older than he had at the ceremony.
“I’ll call the program tomorrow,” he said.
“What if it’s too late?”
“Then we’ll find another opportunity together.”
I wanted to believe him. I looked at the certificate beside the letter.
“Can I put this in my room?”
May you like
“Of course.”
I took it upstairs. From the landing, I could hear Dad calling someone and saying my name.
