2 years later
"good morning and welcome to you, our LLM graduates, your family and friends and to the Yale Law faculty and staff. we know how hard you have worked to achieve your success and today we celebrate your achievements. and now, I am delighted to present to you our student speaker this morning, Eleanor Atkinson.—the dean paused as cheers and loud claps came from the attendees— Eleanor Atkinson is graduating this spring with an LLM degree and an additional certificate of specialization in Human Rights Law. Eleanor is already a junior associate at the United Nations, to which she will return after graduation. Eleanor completed her bachelor and master of law at Yale University, she is fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish. and in addition to her legal practice, she has devoted substantial time to volunteer work. please welcome, Eleanor Atkinson."
the crowd cheered and applauded, she could see her loved ones seated in the first row, with proud smiles on their faces.
elizabeth olsen, her girlfriend of two years, beamed beside her, and her maternal grandparents, siblings, and close friends, including her ever-supportive best friend selene, filled the front row with proud smiles. yet, amidst the joy, there lingered a poignant absence – that of angelina. eleanor's eyes scanned the audience, realizing that one crucial person was missing from this significant moment. however, she staunchly pushed aside thoughts of angelina, a promise she made to herself on this celebratory day.
as eleanor took the stage to deliver her speech, the cheers and claps from the attendees resonated through the venue. pax, ever the vigilant recorder of precious moments, stood up to capture the essence of eleanor's words with his professional camera.
"thank you, dean gerken, for the kind introduction. congratulations to my fellow students of the exceptional class of 2020."
eleanor began, her words met with enthusiastic applause. her eyes scanned the audience yearning for a presence that wasn't there, however catching glimpses of her loved ones – elizabeth, her grandparents, siblings, and friends – all with proud smiles.
her girlfriend nodded her head — ever so slightly but encouragingly — while she tried to contain her tears, unsuccessfully.
"good morning friends, families, staff, professors. it is a great honor to speak on behalf of those who speak even more languages than me. my late mother was a lawyer, and most of my important role models have been lawyers, so for me there is no higher honor than to be addressed as one.
we never thought this day would come. we prayed for its quick delivery, crossed days off our calendars, counted hours, minutes and seconds and now that it's here, i'm sorry it is, because it means leaving friends who inspire me and teachers who have been my mentors, so many people who have shaped my life, and my fellow students lives impermeably and forever. it is incredible to think that we embarked in this journey as strangers, i can recall sharing adventures, all nighters, and hysteric study sessions with every and each one of you.
"among the 90 people coming from 33 different countries around the world, some have been successful lawyers for many years, some are professors or work for international organizations, still others are helping to build the next africa, and the list goes on.
in front of such a diverse talented group of individuals, like the french philosopher Montaigne, i have often wondered: 'what do i know?'. and apart from the fact i have realised i know nothing, what is the importance of knowledge and our role in it?
Lux et Veritas, light and truth. this is Yale's motto, and its mission is to illuminate our lives and the world.
"right now, a multitude of global issues pose major issues to intellectuals in Yale and people who are concerned about humanity, like me. for some of you this world seems a little dark, oftentimes we take light for granted, but it's in the darkest places that we understand how indispensable it is. so now we have the chance to bring this knowledge out to the world, to our worlds, to illuminate the life of others and most of all, to use it wisely because we've learned that from knowledge comes, not only light, but also power. i urge my colleagues to take the light we've received from this great institution to our respective destinations and ensure that everyone feels safe, seen and heard around us.
"we're taking home something which transcends light and knowledge. here we were all of different ages, colors, backgrounds, cultures, religions and even political views. in fact, some of our countries can't stand each other, but we stood with each other, and our differences didn't matter. disagreement is inevitable but as the world is so divided we have shown we can be friends who stand united. we all came here to advance our careers and we will use our knowledge wisely, but this, friends and family, is the far greater lesson that Yale has engraved in our hearts. now it's time to celebrate, to my fellow colleagues, congratulations again."
the words flowed with a mix of eloquence and genuine emotion as eleanor delivered her heartfelt graduation speech. everyone applauded and cheered loudly at the wonderful speech she had just delivered, shiloh had been recording the whole ceremony, while her maternal grandparents alongside zahara and vivienne were tearing up.
they were all immensely proud of her.
"will the LLM candidates please rise?"
eleanor stood up as well as her fellow colleagues, displaying a proud smile on her face. pax snapped another picture before clapping, while shiloh was still recording the ceremony.
"by virtue of the authority that's vested in me by the president of the university of Connecticut and the chancellor of the Yale Campus, i confer upon you the degree Masters of Law and with it all the rights and privileges thereto pertaining. congratulations."
they all threw their black hats up in the air, claps and cheers were heard throughout the room, while the graduates hugged and congratulated each other. the grand ceremony echoed with applause and pride, as eleanor stood tall in her academic regalia, surrounded by her loved ones.
so many things had changed since she had first started that course, but a few people never did and she was very grateful for her friends and family.
since the abuse inflicted by brad pitt, she resigned from her position as junior associate at the law firm, and moved back to new haven to follow her classes while she worked for the United Nations, as well as dedicated herself to volunteer work. her soul was nowhere near healing but she believed she had made progress, the goal was starting to become clear.
as for the jolie-pitt's she had stayed in touch with all her siblings, even maddox who was in south korea and still managed to attend her graduation ceremony, but she had never spoken to angelina again. she had thought about reaching out for her, but she was sick and tired of doing the first step, things had to come from angelina's way this time. she couldn't keep forgiving and forgetting, it didn't work that way.
however that day she was truly happy and there was no ruining her mood. the celebration continued afterward, with a post-commencement gathering that brought together friends and family from different continents. maddox, elizabeth, shiloh, knox, and the others embraced eleanor, sharing in her joy. the atmosphere was warm and festive, a stark contrast to the lingering absence of one particular person.
"hey guys! thank you for coming, it means a lot."
eleanor expressed her gratitude, a warm smile gracing her lips as she approached her siblings at the celebration.
"no worries, it was a pleasure to witness your achievements. we'll always stick by your side."
maddox declared, hugging his older sister tightly, the pride evident in his eyes.
"absolutely. we're so proud of you!"
"siblings hug!"
exclaimed shiloh, the siblings, shared a warm embrace, their bonds evident in the camaraderie they displayed. pax, however, couldn't help but inquire about a missing piece of the puzzle.
"i've missed you."
"so did we . . . and mom."
added pax warily, he didn't know if the topic was still off limits, and he didn't even know what had happened between the two. nobody seemed to. angelina would change subject or get defensive whenever mentioned their forgotten sibling, while eleanor would just tell them to ask their mum.
her breath hitched at the mention of the woman she had lost contact with for over two years, she appeared uncomfortable and thankfully zahara caught on that. the conversation shifted, eleanor deftly steering it away, choosing to revel in the familial warmth rather than delve into the complexities of estrangement. her graduation marked a significant milestone, a moment frozen in time that showcased both personal and academic achievements. however, in the shadows of joy, the specter of unresolved family dynamics lingered.
"how you've changed! wow . . i mean you look stunning."
"thank you z. so have all of you, god i can't believe it. where does the time go?"
eleanor pleaded as she cupped knox's cheeks, which were not so chubby anymore. they had all grown into adults, or almost.
"please don't start with the grandma speech."
pax rolled his eyes at her, while she jabbed his ribs.
"ouch!"
"idiot."
mumbled eleanor, before they all snickered at pax's mock offended expression.
"guys, would you like a picture?"
elizabeth came in sight, holding her phone in her hand. they all nodded their heads, and pax handed her his professional camera.
they all stood together, bright smiles on each of their faces, while their arms side hugged each other.
"okay. funny one now!"
some stuck their tongues out, some rolled their eyes to the back of their heads, eleanor placed two fingers behind shiloh's head which were supposed to mock horns, while she faked a scared expression.
"great!"
"lizzie!"
vivienne rushed to her, hugging her tightly, the latter smiled warmly at her tenderness. the siblings managed to meet her, while still one person was completely oblivious of the fact that her daughter was involved into a healthy and serious romantic relationship.
whilst elizabeth was completely unaware of the estrangement and the familiar complexities occupying eleanor's mind. she had told her that the six kids were her siblings, but elizabeth seemed to not know that those were the jolie-pitt kids. she wasn't one very keen on keeping up with A-list celebrities' gossips, she preferred to stay away from all that media frenzy.
"nice to see you again, liz. when will the next game be?"
maddox and elizabeth did their 'bro handshake', so did pax and knox. she had grown pretty close to everybody, but especially to the boys. they used to arrange these afternoons entirely dedicated to video games, and eleanor couldn't be any happier that they bonded so quickly. she was actually impressed by how her girlfriend managed to make conversation about shopping with the girls, while she could play the weirdest video games with the boys. she could do it all.
"sometimes i think they love her more than they love me."
she whispered to shiloh, who offered her a sly smirk.
"that's because they do. i do too, for one she doesn't poke our cheeks all the time."
"traitor!"
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
"hey p. do you mind helpin—"
angelina stopped in her tracks as she entered inside pax's room.
"sure mom. what's up?"
he stood up from his bed but noticed that his mom wasn't replying, or paying any attention to him for that matter. he followed her gaze until it froze on a framed picture standing on his shelves.
oh shit.
"mom? is everything okay?"
he waved his hand in front of her eyes, but she didn't mind because she still kept her glare fixated on the picture. she picked it up and stroked it with her thumb, while tears built in her gloomy eyes.
"when was this?"
angelina whispered, a barely audible inquiry as she caressed the image with a trembling thumb.
her attention was drawn to a framed picture that spoke volumes. eleanor, adorned in her black and blue graduation regalia, surrounded by her siblings, captured a moment of shared joy and laughter.
pax, now aware of his mother's turmoil, offered an explanation. "may 16th. she graduated summa cum laude," he revealed, trying to ease the weight of the unspoken emotions.
angelina simply hummed, trying and failing to not let any tear slip from her control.
"of course. didn't expect anything less from her."
angelina tried to mask the profound sadness and remorse that swelled within her with a small chuckle, but it was all pointless because her son could see right through her. she sat on the edge of the bed, worried that her knees would fail her sooner than later.
"mom, i'm sorry. but it isn't shocking, is it? you two haven't spoken in over two years. if it makes you feel any better, shi recorded the whole ceremony. she even delivered a speech!"
pax tried to cheer her up, he encircled her shoulders with his arm and drew soothing circles on her back, but as soon as he mentioned the last sentence she broke down. the dyke fell down, the wall she erected through these two years as a vessel that contained all the unspoken emotions and all the unhealed wounds, crumbled swiftly at the mention of her. she started sobbing and crying loudly, not even being able to hold it any longer.
"sorry mom. i know it hurts, but you should try to make amends. i think that's what she expects from you."
she wiped the tears that stained her cheeks with the back of her hand and looked directly at her son.
"why didn't you tell me?"
angelina questioned, her vulnerability laid bare.
"we didn't want to make you suffer, we knew how not being invited would have affected you."
he combed his hand through her brown hair, as she covered her face with both hands. his comforting gestures aimed at offering solace to a grieving mother.
"i miss her. i miss her like crazy, y'know?"
"i know."
he whispered and placed a kiss on top of her head.
angelina pulled an all nighter, she couldn't close her eyes as the thought of her estranged daughter occupied her mind constantly. she spent the remaining hours of darkness before dawn watching her graduation ceremony, crying and sobbing convulsively as she regretted not being there, but most of all she regretted what had happened over two years prior. guilt was a terrible feeling, it was eating her from inside and she didn't believe she could continue like this any longer.
when the ceremony was over she walked inside her room, she hadn't opened it since she last spent the night over, but she always kept it clean.
she walked in her tiptoes as if it was prohibited for her to enter, as if she didn't want to get caught. her breath hitched as she switched on the light and found it empty.
of course it is angelina, what did you expect?
she looked around, it felt like she hadn't been there before, it was a whole new different place from the last time eleanor visited. the giant stuffed 'E' and their first picture together were still there, but angelina started decorating the room with their memories. she added a few pictures from their trip in switzerland, one with the siblings all skiing, and one with just the two of them, with angelina holding her daughter bride style. eleanor displayed the most beautiful smile she had ever seen, the happiness on angelina's face was evident. then she added one with little vivi on eleanor's shoulders, another one with her boys and her eldest daughter displaying their biceps as if in some sort of competition, in the pool. her favorite was the one brad snapped at christmas, angelina and all the seven siblings were cuddled up together on the sofa wearing their christmassy jumpers she had gifted them, laughing so beautifully.
the next one she saw standing on the shelf made her sigh heavily. it showed eleanor and her white horse as they jumped across two very high obstacles during one of her competitions. she won the first place and ended up on a newspaper, angelina carved out the piece and hang it on the wall. since she had seen her practice she had been obsessed with horse riding and that was why angelina attended every race of hers with a huge black sun hat and a black coat not to be recognised.
she would snap these pictures of her daughter during competitions and display them on the shelves, while she carved out every newspaper article that talked about her, whether it was for her work at UN, or for her passions, and she hung them on the walls.
it sort of became eleanor's sanctuary.
she grabbed their first picture together and laid down on the bed. she held it close to her chest and cried her eyes out. she wished she was holding her dear eleanor instead.
in the quiet solitude of the room, angelina grappled with the echoes of her daughter's words: "just think about how you'll never have to hold that picture again because now you can hold me." the realization struck hard, and the journey ahead seemed daunting.
those words her daughter pronounced a long time ago, echoed through her mind, as she found herself doing exactly what she wasn't supposed to do. and it hurt to know that the empty space on that bed, and in her heart, was her fault.
as dawn approached, angelina, burdened by guilt and longing, contemplated the path forward. the road to reconciliation lay ahead, uncertain and challenging, but the yearning for connection ignited a glimmer of hope within her.
in a rushed decision she grabbed her car keys, with one place in mind.
New Haven, Connecticut
A/N:
surprise!
this is my christmas gift for you, i hope you like it.
for those of you wondering, the year is 2020 but this is an alternative universe so there was no pandemic.
merry christmas and happy new year! (just in case i don't publish till 2024)