Crossroads—2026-05-06 (Patreon)

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Chapter 102: AND HERE I AM by Liza McDuffy

I feel a little overwhelmed right now. Mr. Robertson just passed by and said something he meant as encouragement, and it was. But it left me honestly fighting back tears.

“Congratulations, Liza. Graduating Saturday, right?”

“Yes, sir. That’s right.”

“Big day… Commencement… Everything changes now. You’ve worked hard and come a long way. You’ll need to visit HR next week and get everything set up for your new position. Goodbye, internship…”

“Yes, sir. Mr. Davis talked to me about that. I’m really excited.”

He shook my hand and went on with whatever he was doing. His words hung in my thoughts.

You’ve come a long way.

I can’t even begin to find words that express just how far I’ve come. Growing up, life wasn’t always easy. My folks struggled with jobs and money, and we didn’t always have stable housing. We moved so much my best friends were characters in books—and, for a little while, an imaginary friend I played with.

My stipend as an intern was the steadiest income I’ve ever experienced. And ending up living at Crossroads put me among the best group of people I’ve ever known.

That social circle also led Caleb Hastings into my life. He might be a bigger geek than I am, except his sister, Chloe, makes him dress like one of the cool kids. He and I hit it off right away, and now, I’d say we are a big part of each other’s lives.

We’ve known each other for a few months, and we’ve decided whatever we’re doing is officially exclusive. We’re working out the details as we go, but it’s really good.

So, I find myself at the end of whatever my life has been up to now and at the commencement of whatever it might become. I’ve gone from financial and social poverty to something that feels like comfort and stability.

Come a long way? Yeah. You can say that again.

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