I took a deep breath and stood up from my seat, feeling the eyes of other diners upon me. With a calm exterior that belied the storm within, I raised my glass, the contents shimmering under the soft lighting of the restaurant.
“To family,” I began, my voice clear and steady, cutting through the murmur of the room. “To those who shape us with their expectations and judgments, and to the strength we find within ourselves to rise above it.”
Mark’s smirk faltered, and Margaret’s laughter ceased, their eyes fixed on me as they realized this was not merely a toast.
