“You okay?” Aiden's familiar voice pulled me back to reality.
I looked up at him and forced a small smile. “I'm okay.”
He studied my face carefully. “You don't look okay.”
I exhaled quietly. “I'm just…sad. My mum should've been here. I wish she could've seen this.”
His expression softened instantly.
Without saying anything, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“She saw it.”
I looked at him.
“Trust me.If there's anywhere she could be right now, she'd be watching you. And she'd be the loudest person clapping in this entire hall.”
A small laugh escaped me. “You think so?”
“Yes, I know.” He squeezed my shoulder lightly. “She'd be unbelievably proud of the woman you've become.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah…”
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then his smile became playful. “You k
