Bashful Bunny has graduated! Bartholomew Bear was delighted to be her plus-one—any excuse to dress up and sneak into the official photos of Bashful in her mortar board is a dream come true for him.

He was a little puzzled by her dissertation title, The Art of Cuddle-Induced Emotionality, until Bashful simplified it: “Why hugs help.” Much clearer!

It’s always wonderful to celebrate big achievements with your best friend especially when they were the inspiration behind 80,000 words in the first place.