Jack sat outside the door, pretending they were deliberately skipping class, until Theo felt ready to return.

Then Theo’s expression softened.

“When Jack became sick, everyone started telling him how brave he was.”

He paused.

“Honestly, he hated that.”

I smiled through my tears.

Jack had once complained that being sick didn’t automatically make him courageous.

Theo continued.

“He said cancer wasn’t something he’d chosen. It was something happening to him.”

His fingers tightened around the podium.

“But I think Jack was brave in a different way.”

He looked toward Daniel and me.

“He understood that his treatments might not work before most of us were ready to accept that possibility.”

My eyes filled again.

“And even while he was frightened, he kept trying to make everyone around him feel less afraid.”

Theo gently touched the red dress.

“This wasn’t just Jack teasing me.”

He smiled faintly.