For over two months now, Tucker, the newest member of the family, had grown noticeably rounder, filling out to a size that made him look more like a medium- sized dog than the small pup they had weed home, now weighing in at well over twenty pounds.


    At his dad''s signal, Tucker wagged his tail excitedly and trotted over to Mirabe, affectionately nuzzling her leg with his nose.


    Mirabe patted Tucker on the head, then raised an eyebrow at Zach. "Looks like you two are getting along just fine."


    Zach sighed inwardly, thinking about the silent struggles of taking care of everything. "Keep it up, champ. You''re our family''s valedictorian."


    "Yeah," Mirabe replied confidently, nodding.


    Nearby, Emmitt clenched his fist before stepping forward. "Mirabe, best of luck with your finals.”


    Mirabe looked at Emmitt, her lips pressed into a thin line, and nodded, "Thanks."


    Emmitt smiled, his fingers rxing at his side.


    "Alright, let''s get going," Delh said, emerging from the room with her bag, ncing at the time. "We''re on a tight schedule here."


    Outside, Shawn had already backed the car out of the garage and was waiting.


    Soon, Mirabe was on her way to her exam center, not at Parkside High School as one might expect, but at Anderson Public School, with her parents by her side.


    Vincent also found himself at Anderson Public School for his finals.


    The two crossed paths at the school''s entrance.


    "Looking sharp," Mirabe said, raising an eyebrow at Vincent.


    For once, Vincent didn''t downy his readiness. "Just trying to keep up with you."


    He might not be the top of the ss, but he was confident about securing the second spot.


    Mirabe nodded, "Good luck, Vincent."


    "Same to you, Mirabe," Vincent replied with a smile.


    Both were guaranteed spots at Prestige College but took their final exams seriously, as it was a testament to their hard work over three years. They wanted to finish this chapter on a high note.


    At 8:45 a.m., Mirabe entered the examination hall, finding her seat in the third- tost row, surrounded by unfamiliar faces instead of her ssmates.


    At 9:00 a.m. sharp, the proctor walked in with the sealed English Language Arts test packets, opened them in front of everyone, and distributed the papers. The exam was scheduled for 150 minutes.


    Mirabe skimmed through the questions, finding nothing too tricky except for the essay prompt, which didn''t surprise her. Having focused on her English Literature this term, she had seen significant improvement, with her scores soaring to an average of 145, except for asional deductions in essay writing.


    After spending forty minutes on the preliminary questions and double-checking her answers, Mirabe turned her attention to the essay prompt.


    This year''s prompt was a bit unusualpared to previous years, focusing on ssical Studies—a broad and challenging theme that tested students'' understanding and insight into ancient traditions and cultures.


    For many, this essay would be daunting, but for Mirabe, who had been


    immersed in ssical literature from a young age, it was familiar territory.


    With her ideas gradually taking shape, she began writing, her pen moving swiftly across the page.