As soon as that gavel hit the table, it was like waking up from a nightmare.
"Evie, you did it," Timothy exclaimed, rushing toward me. I gasped as he wrapped me in a tender hug, twirling me around. I returned the hug, feeling the swell of pride and relief.
He set me down and I couldn’t help but laugh at the sudden look of embarrassment on his face, like he just realized what he had done.
“Uh, sorry. Got a little excited…” He rubbed the back of his neck and I nudged him in the arm.
"It’s fine.” I kept my hands on his arms, steadying myself with his weight or I’d tip over otherwise. I was still winded by the exhilaration of it all. “We’re okay.”
As we pulled apart, the atmosphere shifted. Linda approached with a tight-lipped smile. Her tone was laced with sarcasm as she said, "Well, wel
