My husband refused to walk my 17-year-old daughter, his stepdaughter for nine years, at her high school senior night. “That’s something a real father should do,” he told her. But when her name was announced Thursday evening, her 79-year-old grandfather appeared with his walking cane and proudly accompanied her onto the court.

The first girl was announced with her mother and father. They walked out to center court together. She handed her mother the rose. They turned for a picture. Everybody clapped.

The second girl walked out with her mother and her stepfather.

I noticed that. Of course I noticed that.

I didn’t look at Travis. But I felt him notice it too.

The rose went to the mother. The stepfather put his arm around both of them.

The third girl had both parents and a grandmother in a wheelchair, pushed out by an uncle. The grandmother got the loudest cheer so far.

Then Mr. Halvorson looked down at his index card.

And I saw him pause. Just slightly. The same way Mrs. Larson had paused on the phone.

Then he read it.