Modern LZ can barely hold back his tears of pride as he watches his little people graduate from kindergarten. He is SO proud!
Look at them standing tall (although Jingyi is waving wildly to his parents - that child has never stood still a day in his life) and happy!
Having guided them through their year of kindergarten, he's gotten to know them, learn their personalities, find out what they're good at, and what they're GREAT at
He's watched them blossom into bright children who can gaze clearly into the world, unafraid
Oh, he's certain there will be times when they fail. But, like he's always told them, failure is a chance to try to do something an even more interesting way than their first try
He wishes them every happiness
He wishes them every success
He also wishes them fulfilling lives
Each and every one of those children is important to him, each one a little spark of hope and joy. They always will be. Although he'll be teaching new children next year, new children to care for and love, it won't push any of his past students out of his heart
No, that won't happen at all. LZ knows his heart is big enough for every child he teaches
But there is one very special one this year. Someone more special than any of the children he's ever taught
Standing quietly next to Jingyi, his eyes bright, is A-Yuan
LZ feels his smile soften. There is one child he'll never have to say goodbye to
An arm wraps around his waist from the side and squeezes reassuringly
WY: I have tissues if you need them
LZ's smile wobbles just a bit, his emotions nearly getting the best of him
This is the reason he'll never have to say goodbye to A-Yuan. It's because through A-Yuan, he'd met WY. And in meeting WY, A-Yuan's baba, he'd met his soulmate, the other half of his heart
They were to be married next week, after a year of keeping their distance
A year of corresponding through emails and phone calls, of pretending that they hadn't fallen in love at first sight and had a respectful parent-teacher only relationship
Last night had been their first night together
WY had proposed that morning
And they would announce to their families that evening that they would be married next week
LZ couldn't wait. More to the point, A-Yuan couldn't wait. He understood the need to keep a secret, but he was SO excited to have a new baba!!!
As the principal of the kindergarten congratulated the children for the final time, sending them off to their parents, the kids let out happy screams
LZ LOST IT
He buries his face into WY's shoulder, tissues be damned, and sobs with happiness. He's just so PROUD
Those kids are his life. And now they're moving on to grow into their own lives. He's HAPPY. But he's also going to MISS them
Small arms wrap around his legs, and he looks down through his tears
It's A-Yuan, smiling up at him
A-Yuan: Baba! I gwad-ated!
LZ laughs. Cries a little more. Laughs again. A-Yuan called him Baba!
He picks up A-Yuan in his arms and cuddles him tight. WY wraps his arms around them both
LZ: You did, little radish. You graduated, and I'm so proud of you
A-Yuan giggles
LZ: I love you both so much!
WY: And we love you! Don't we, little radish?
A-Yuan: Yeah! All the love!
And he wasn't wrong