The waiter started bringing out the hot dishes one after another.
Classic Southern comfort food—seafood specials, rich stews, and savory stir-fries—filling the air with amazing aromas.
The atmosphere at the table got even more relaxed and homey.
James asked Ethan with genuine interest:
"So Ethan, your acceptance letter from NYU should be coming any day now, right? Being valedictorian must be nice—everything's just locked in and ready to go."
"Yeah, should be soon, Mr. Thompson."
Ethan replied with a smile.
James continued, his tone full of relief:
"You're heading to New York, and Emily's not too far away with her program—you two can look out for each other."
Emily nodded:
"Yeah, not too far."
Right then.
Linda smiled and shifted the conversation to Jack:
"Jack decided on Georgia Tech, right? That's a really solid school! Strong engineering program, great job placement after graduation!"
Jack quickly responded:
"Yes, Mrs. Miller."
James glanced at his son and added with feeling:
"Once you get to college, don't just screw around partying! Learn from Emily—actually study your major and make it count!"
Jack nodded repeatedly:
"Got it, Dad!"
During dinner.
Emily briefly told her parents about her final semester of undergrad and mentioned her plans for starting grad school next semester.
Linda and Robert listened super attentively, their eyes full of pride and satisfaction.
This daughter had never really given them trouble—she'd always been so naturally excellent it almost seemed effortless.
Carol held Linda's arm affectionately and naturally picked up the conversation, chatting about random stuff.
Kids growing up and leaving home—there was a bit of wistfulness in her words, then the topic naturally shifted to lighter things like which skincare brands were worth trying.
Ethan and Jack were absolutely destroying the food, occasionally throwing in a comment here and there.
They looked like two guys whose entire focus was "eat everything in sight."
Ethan was pretty relaxed, occasionally putting some of Emily's favorite dishes on her plate.
Robert and James, old friends for years, were going back and forth with drinks, chatting about work and current events, laughing loud and hard.
Linda and Carol, best friends forever, were whispering and sharing little life updates. Emily listened quietly, occasionally chiming in, her demeanor calm and composed.
"Man, time flies so fast!"
Robert set down his glass, his eyes gently sweeping over the grown kids around him, then landing on Jack who he'd watched grow up since he was tiny, a bit of emotion in his tone:
"Feels like just yesterday these three were playing in the dirt and getting into fights, and suddenly they're all heading off to college."
"I know!"
James was also feeling it, patting his old friend on the shoulder:
"From now on, these kids are gonna be scattered all over the country. Robert, we're getting OLD, man!"
Ethan jumped in with a grin:
"Dad, Mr. Thompson, what are you talking about? You guys aren't old! You're in your PRIME!"
Jack quickly nodded in agreement:
"Exactly! You guys are still young!"
Emily looked at the warm, lively scene in front of her—her parents' happy smiles, her little brother and Jack's youthful energy, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson who felt like extended family—and felt this calm warmth flowing through her heart.
This was home. A safe harbor. A place that would always care about her and that she'd always care about, no matter how high or far she flew.
...
Back home that night!
Linda was changing her shoes while smiling at Emily:
"Sweetie, you don't have plans tomorrow, right? Come shopping with me! It's been forever since we've had a girls' day together."
Then her eyes locked onto Ethan, who was trying to sneak to his room:
"Ethan, you're coming too! You're carrying bags!"
Ethan's steps froze instantly, and his face showed an expression of pure apocalyptic dread.
Shopping with his mom AND his sister?
This was basically a double marathon of mental and physical torture.
If he had a choice, he'd literally rather climb Mount Everest.
He tried one last desperate struggle:
"Mom... I actually have plans tomorrow..."
"Whatever plans you have, cancel them!"
Linda cut him off without hesitation, smiling sweetly:
"Your sister just got home. What's wrong with spending time shopping with your mom and sister? That's FINAL! No negotiation!"
Ethan's eyes immediately turned to his dad Robert, seeking his last possible ally.
Robert was unbuttoning his shirt, caught his son's desperate look, immediately cleared his throat, and calmly changed the subject:
"Oh, by the way, I need to tell you all something."
"This afternoon, your grandfather called from back home."
That successfully grabbed everyone's attention.
Robert had a smile on his face:
"The old man said he's already got everything arranged—day after tomorrow, we're heading back to our home and throwing Ethan a proper celebration dinner! All the relatives and family friends have been notified. He wants to celebrate having a valedictorian in the family!"
Linda was thrilled:
"Your dad works fast! But the timing's actually perfect!"
Emily also smiled and nodded:
"I was planning to visit Grandma and Grandpa in a couple days anyway. Now we can all go together."
Right then.
Emily seemed to suddenly remember something. She got up and walked to her room, wheeling out the suitcase she'd just brought back.
"Oh, by the way, Mom, Dad—I brought you guys some stuff."
She opened the case and first pulled out a beautifully packaged gift box, handing it to Linda:
"Mom, this is a custom skincare set one of my lab friends recommended. All natural ingredients, supposed to be great for anti-aging. Try it and see what you think."
Linda took it with delight:
"Oh sweetie, you're so thoughtful! Thank you, baby!"
Her face showed pure happiness she couldn't hide.
Then Emily pulled out a long leather gift box and handed it to Robert:
"Dad, I got you a belt. I noticed yours is getting pretty worn out—you've had it for years."
She was always like this—observant and practical.
Always taking care of the most basic needs of her family.
Robert took the box, opened it, and saw a beautifully crafted dark brown leather belt with serious quality you could tell just by looking.
A huge smile broke out on his face:
"Perfect! My daughter's so thoughtful! Always looking out for your old man!"
He immediately started unbuckling his old worn belt, running his fingers over the new one appreciatively.
Ethan watched this scene and thought to himself: What about ME? Does your SON not count as thoughtful?
He rolled his eyes, felt like an opportunity just presented itself, and immediately stepped forward with a grin:
"Dad, speaking of things that are old and worn out... don't you think your car should maybe get... you know, upgraded? That thing's been around forever, the AC barely works, it's uncomfortable to drive... I'm honestly worried it's gonna die on the highway one of these days."
When Robert heard this, his eyes LIT UP, and he looked at the household CFO (Linda) with intense hope.
What man could resist the temptation of a new car?
He could practically hear the engine roaring already.
Linda had been looking at the skincare set with this happy expression.
The SECOND she heard "new car," the smile vanished from her face, replaced by serious mode:
"New car? What NEW CAR? That car still RUNS, doesn't it?"