Page 85 of Breathing Under Water

“I don’t know, but I’m sure you could look into that.”

“What does a resident advisor do?” he asks.

“If you sit back in your seat so I can stop craning my neck, I’ll tell you.”

Leo dutifully returns to his seat, and McKenna continues. “They live in a dorm full of other students, usually younger ones, and help out when the residents need things. There can be mentoring involved, or just helping kids sort through problems they’re having at school, social problems, educational challenges. It’s someone who can offer a little extra support or help to students who need it.”

“You’d be good at that,” Leo says. “You gave me a lot of help back when I needed it.”

By the way he phrased that, he probably doesn’t realize it, but he’s basically just announced that he no longer needs help, that he’s in a good place. Phil notices though. He reaches under the table and squeezes my thigh. These are the moments you wait for.

“That’s nice of you to say, Leo. I will always give you support if you need it. You just let me know.”

“What’s the theme for the living and learning community with the opening at your school?” Leo asks.

McKenna looks from Leo to me with an expression of pure glee on her face.

“It’s the Health and Wellness LLC. And I can move in tomorrow!”

She looks so excited that I jump out of my chair with a squeal and race around the table to hug her.

“Honey, that’s wonderful! It’s the perfect thing for you!”

As she sinks into my arms, I can feel the relief oozing out of her, the triumph of finally figuring out exactly where she belongs.

Epilogue

Berry

June 2025

“Phil, we have to go!” It’s been downright impossible to pull him away from his computer recently. It turns out he loves consulting for medical start-up companies, advising on product sourcing, distribution, and market positioning, more than he ever liked dealing with regulatory and compliance issues or cash flow management at his own company. “Phil! The emails can wait! But your son cannot!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Phil says as he comes scrambling out of the home office, still fiddling with the knot of his tie. “I got caught up.”

He hurries along behind me as we head out to the driveway, where Leo’s already in the car with Hollis and Yvonne, the ignition running. Though it’s been several months since Leo got his learner’s permit, I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the sight of my baby sitting in the driver’s seat. I also don’t know if he’ll ever progress beyond the learner’s permit, but I do know it’s worth letting him try.

As usual, Southreach Senior High School’s graduation ceremony is being held in the auditorium at Meadowbrook in order to accommodate the many friends and family who want to attend.When we get there, the seats have already started filling up, and I feel a little frantic to find six seats together. But then I spot Harrison, where he and McKenna have already saved seats for the rest of us. The way she’s looking at him, leaning toward him as he talks, I think maybe she’s beginning to budge about going on one of the dates he keeps asking her for. She catches sight of us and pops up, motioning us over.

“You go on back, honey,” I tell Leo as the others go to the seats. “Now you see where we’ll be sitting so you can wave to us from the stage.”

“I’m not going to do that,” he says. “You will be able to see me even if I don’t wave. So I won’t wave. I don’t need to, so I’m not going to do that.” He walks away, holding his cap and gown, heading down toward the stage.

I make my way over to the others, apologizing to the people who stand to let us slide into the row.

As I settle in beside Phil, I give McKenna a quick hug and then lean across her toward Harrison.

“You all set for later?” I ask him.

“Damon’s there now, setting everything up.” Harrison and two of his friends are working on opening their dream restaurant, a farm-to-table bistro they’ll call Meadow & Tide that serves sustainably sourced, locally grown food. For now they’ve started with a food truck, but it bears the same name and will open officially in a week. We decided a graduation picnic would be the perfect way to test everything out. If it does as well as they’re expecting, they might open a few more trucks. It’s not time to quit his day job yet, but he’s on his way.

We’re interrupted from chatting when the first notes ofthePomp and Circumstancemarch beginning flowing from the speakers, and of course, the waterworks are instant for me.

That song.

My baby.

Then we sit quietly and listen to opening remarks from Principal Chung. Next, the valedictorian, Paige Lopez, gives a boring but sweet speech about the importance of working hard and being changemakers in the future. And then, finally, it’s the moment we’ve been waiting for.