Eli approached the microphone first.
He wasn't a natural public speaker.
He could explain complex equations without hesitation, but ordinary attention made him uncomfortable.
He adjusted the microphone.
“Thank you,” he began.
His voice shook.
He cleared his throat.
“We're really grateful to our teacher, Mrs. Ramirez, and everyone who helped us reach this competition.”
Owen stepped beside him.
“We built our first working prototype using parts from broken electronics our mom helped us collect.”
A few people laughed warmly.
Eli smiled.
“She also let us turn the kitchen table into a laboratory.”
“Which meant eating dinner on the couch,” Owen added.
More laughter.
Then Owen's expression changed.
He looked directly at me.
“Our mom worked a lot when we were little. Sometimes she came home exhausted, but she always asked what we were building.”
My eyes filled.
“She didn't always understand the technical stuff.”
“Almost never,” Eli added.
The audience chuckled.
