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George slowly opened the door to the auditorium, allowing himself to fully breathe and take in the gravity of what the day would bring for him.
“I’m just glad I could be here.”
Ringo followed soon after. As he closed the door, he laid his hand on George’s shoulder.
“At least we’re early.”
“Only by a few minutes.”
“Come on, though.”
It didn’t take too much longer for them to find their seats. And as they got comfortable, George teared up a bit.
“He’s worked so hard for this.”
“I know. I’m just glad you were well enough to join us.”
The lights dimmed, and the orchestra geared up for a rendition of “Pomp and Circumstance”. While the song played, George made sure to keep an eye out through the sea of graduates walking the aisles and finding their seats.
“There he is!” George whispered.
Ringo’s eyes lit up at the sight as well. They had managed to find George’s son, Dhani, in the crowd. Admittedly, Dhani lost his footing a bit when he spotted his father in the audience. But it didn’t take him too long to regain his composure and find his seat in the crowd.
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The ceremony went smoothly from there, with everyone receiving the honors they were due to receive. As the ceremony ended and the crows dissipated, Ringo stood up to leave. But George very quickly pulled him back down.
“That crowd’s a mess. It would be better if we waited.”
“Isn’t he waiting for us out there?”
“...I don’t know.”
Ringo sat back down.
“What was his degree in?”
“It was his Masters, Industrial Design. And he even got some Physics qualifications as well.”
“Impressive…”
“What’s more impressive is that McLaren position waiting for him.”
“No… you don’t mean THAT McLaren, do you? The automotive company?”
“Yes, THAT McLaren.”
“Woah…”
“I’m just glad I could be here.”
Ringo wanted to butt in again, but was cut off by someone yelling for them.
“Dad! Uncle Ringo!”
George jumped up and gripped his dear son in a bear hug, and Ringo just patted the young graduate’s shoulder.
“Congrats, sport.”
Dhani pulled Ringo into their hug.
“Thank you… both of you…”
“We wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”
Ringo wriggled himself out of the hug and gave Dhani a thumbs-up. They all chuckled as they walked out of the auditorium.
“So, son. The rest of the day is up to you.” George offered. “We can go out to dinner somewhere.”
“I don’t know. You two fly back tomorrow, don’t you?”
“We do, but that shouldn’t matter.”
“No, it does. You two need energy if you’re gonna fly back. Why don’t we just hang out back at the hotel?”
George looked over at Ringo, and they nodded in agreement.
“That’s actually not a bad idea.”
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The rest of the night was comfortable for everyone. Not only did Ringo take the responsibility of ordering food service for dinner and even a bit of a fancy dessert, but George also found the option to rent one of Dhani’s older favorite movies. As Dhani watched the movie, George and Ringo managed to discreetly cuddle on the cot and spend the rest of the night relishing in their comfort.