“Be There” by Stephanie Romans was inspirational and heartwarming. Tad’s wealthy father, Robert, cared only of himself and the endless amount of money, cars, and valuables he surrounded himself with. His mother left them when she was sick of Robert’s arrogant nature and Tad was stuck under the control of someone he couldn’t even call a dad.

The opening scene where Tad and his father were arguing over the breakfast table was extremely relatable. Stephanie’s consistent mentions of breakfast food or the fork tines made the conversation come to life. The way Tad propped his chin up and rolled his eyes while his father spoke to him in a monotonous voice showed the fact that although the two were sitting right across from each other, they could not be any more distant.

When Tad jumped out of his seat and pointed fingers at his father in laughter as he read the letter from his mother, I could feel his excitement through the page. I also empathized for Robert, who watched with despair as Tad pranced around the room after he learned that he could finally be free of his father’s ignorance.

The scenario at the airport was extremely intense. Each character that stepped through the doors kept me on the edge of my chair. I wanted to see the moment Tad’s mother walked out of the plane as much as he did. Vivid sensory details and even onomatopoeia phrases put me right in the middle of Gate 14, waiting—along with Tad—for the mere seconds until he could reunite with the woman he envisioned as his savior.
When Tad’s mother didn’t show up, I was devastated for him. The fact that Tad and Robert tried so hard not to cry during this situation made me tear up too. I loved the special bonding moment they then had and felt that the apology and hug shared was very sincere. I was satisfied that the ending wasn’t forced, and felt it was a great way of tying together the story’s ends. Overall, Stephanie Romans’ piece was very well-written and enjoyable.