I rehearsed the moment all afternoon—the smile, the handoff, the little speech about how much it would mean to have them there. By 6:00 p.m. I was at my parents’ colonial in Riverside, the house where I grew up, where the hedges were always trimmed and the good china came out on Tuesdays. Mom (American) stirred beef stew in her cardigan and pearls; Dad (American) watched the evening news; my sister Madison (American) scrolled her phone like it was a full-time job. When there was finally a lull i

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The text landed at 11:04 p.m., the night before graduation. “We’re too tired from your sister’s trip to attend your ceremony.” I typed two words back: “Rest well.” I didn’t tell them what tomorrow actually was—that the cameras would pan the family section in Harvard Yard, that my name would be announced as valedictorian, that the microphone at the center of Tercentenary Theater would be mine. I didn’t mention the three seats I’d requested: one for my grandmother, one for my best friend, Maya, an

Yes - Machine Messiah - Live in Lyon 2009 Steve Howe – guitars, pedal steel guitar, vocals Chris Squire – bass, bass pedals vocals [R.I.P.] Alan White – drums, percussion [R.I.P.] Oliver Wakeman – keyboards Benoît David – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion #yesband #yestheband #machinemessiah #yesdrama | Progressive Rock Land