High-school graduation is a milestone we all look forward to. It is an experience shared with those we love the most because it marks a chapter in our life that we will always cherish as a precious memory.

For a young woman named Britt, this day was a roller-coaster of emotions. She was very proud of herself for graduating high-school, but at the same time, her heart wouldn’t stop pounding over the thought that her mom and her step-dad might not show up. Among the camera flashes and the crowd, she was hoping to see familiar faces.

As she was sitting next to her classmates, she kept looking around. “They’re probably running late,” she tried to convince herself. “Or maybe stuck in traffic. They’ll be here any minute.”

As names were called, Britt glanced around, and when it was finally her turn to walk up to the stage, she put a smile on her face. With the diploma in her hand, Britt prayed to see her mom smiling and her step-dad showing her thumbs up, but that didn’t happen. They were nowhere to be seen.

“They must be here somewhere,” she thought as she walked around the place. Once she realized they weren’t there and they were probably not coming at all, Britt checked her phone. There was a message there which read, “Sorry, we couldn’t make it. Something came up with your stepsister. We’ll celebrate later. Congrats!”

Britt got incredibly concerned. She wondered what could have possibly been more important than her graduation and couldn’t wait to get home and be there for her parents.

Iris, her step-sister, was always throwing tantrums, and wanted to be the center of attention, but what could be wrong this time?

As she stood there all by herself, Britt felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Justin’s, her prom date. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked her, realizing something was terribly wrong.

Britt couldn’t answer because she felt a lump in her throat. Instead of words, tears started rolling down her face.

“Oh sweetheart, come here,” Justin’s mom told her as she pulled her in her embrace. “You’re not alone, we’re here for you.”

They did all in their power not to let Britt feel alone and tried to fill in the void.

Following the celebration with Justin’s family, Britt headed home. Once there she saw her mom and step-dad on the couch, watching TV just like any other day. What’s most, they even looked relaxed.

Britt’s anger bubbled up. “Hey, where were you guys?” she asked with a trembling voice. “You missed my graduation.”

Her mom, looking embarrassed, sighted, “Your stepsister broke a nail. She threw a huge tantrum and demanded we take her to the beauty salon to get it fixed immediately. She was inconsolable, Britt.”

In disbelief, Britt said, “A broken nail? You missed my graduation because Iris broke a nail and had a meltdown?”

Iris, who didn’t even bothered to raise her head said, “It was an emergency for me.”

At that point, Britt realized how skewed her parents’ priorities were. It wasn’t that she didn’t know Iris was their favorite, but this was the breaking point. “Are you serious?” she shouted. “Do you even realize how much this meant to me?”

Unable to look at her eyes, her mom said, “Britt, we’re sorry. We’ll celebrate later, I promise.”

After giving it some thought, Britt decided it would be for the best if she left the house for some time. So, she called Mrs. Anderson, Justin’s mom. With a shaking voice she said, “Good evening, Mrs. Anderson. I want to ask you for a favor. But I don’t know how to…”

“Go on, Brittany. What is it?” Mrs. Anderson replied with her sweet voice.

“Can I stay with you guys for a while? I’ve had a fallout with my family and I need to get out of here.”

Justin’s mom didn’t hesitate. “Of course, sweetheart. You’re always welcome here.”

Britt packed her things and headed towards the front door. “I’m leaving,” she said. “I need some time away from this house, from you.”

Her mom tried to stop her, but it was too late.

In the weeks that followed, Britt was able to find a job and eventually, an apartment. She ignored her parents’ calls and didn’t want any contact with them.

However, years later, when she was about to graduate from college, Britt decided to give them a chance for redemption so she called them on the phone and invited them to her graduation ceremony. She believed they owed her to be there this time.

Sadly, the history repeated itself. On the day of her college graduation, Britt’s mom and step-dad didn’t show up. The reason why? Iris, who was pregnant at the time, had a craving for a particular cake from a sweet shop in the next town and they got stuck in traffic. Just like the first time, they excused themselves with a lame text message.

This was yet another blow from the people who were meant to be Britt’s biggest support. Following the ceremony, Justin found Britt. “They didn’t come, did they?” he said softly.  “No, they didn’t,” she answered.

Justin was always there for her, he felt like the closest person she had in her life, and eventually they started a relationship and moved in together. Britt was happy with how her life turned out, but the ache of her parents’ absence from her life was something she needed time to get over.

Looking back, Britt learned that even when given a second chance, some people will waste it, and they will disappoint you over and over again.