By the time the announcer invited Eli and Owen to come forward, the auditorium was no longer looking at them as two reserved boys wearing ordinary jackets.
I watched my sons make their way toward the stage while the enormous scoreboard shone behind them. Eli had earned first place in the advanced science division. Owen had achieved the top score in mathematics. Their results had been close enough that the judges spent almost twenty minutes double-checking the final standings before making them official.
Two first-place victories.
Two gold medals.
All morning, I had deliberately avoided looking toward the section where Daniel, Vanessa, and Mason were seated.
This time, I looked.
Daniel no longer appeared angry.
He looked completely stunned.
Vanessa sat perfectly motionless beside him.
And Mason, who had spent most of the morning absorbed in his own competition materials, now leaned forward with his attention locked on my sons.
The first medal was placed around Eli’s neck.
