Prom night arrived warm and humid.
Grandma spent almost an hour getting ready.
When she emerged from her bedroom, she kept tugging at her dress.
“It’s too old.”
“It looks amazing.”
“The flowers make me look like a sofa.”
“A stylish sofa.”
“I knew this was a mistake.”
She looked toward the door.
I blocked it.
“No escape.”
“My shoes look orthopedic.”
“They are orthopedic.”
“That isn’t helping.”
I held out the corsage I’d bought with money from tutoring freshmen.
Tiny white roses.
She stared at it.
“Noah.”
“Don’t start.”
“You shouldn’t spend money on—”
“Hand.”
She gave me her wrist.
As I tied it, I felt that same strange ache I’d felt earlier.
A realization.
This wasn’t just prom.
This was a goodbye to something.
Childhood, maybe.
Or the version of our lives where Grandma and I existed mostly inside that small apartment, protected from whatever came next.
She touched my cheek.
“You look like your mother.”
“You always say that.”
“Because you do.”
“Was she nervous at prom?”
Grandma froze.
“Mom went?”
“Yes.”
“With who?”
Her face changed.
Almost imperceptibly.
“She went with friends.”
There was more.
I knew there was.
But before I could ask, she grabbed her purse.
“Picture.”
We took one with my phone.
Then one on hers.
Then another because Grandma had blinked.
Then three more because she disliked her chin.
By the time we left, we were laughing.
For a while, I forgot everything else.
The Riverside ballroom looked like somebody had spent twenty thousand dollars trying to recreate a night sky indoors.
Thousands of tiny lights hung from the ceiling.
Silver stars dangled from strings.
Blue fabric covered the walls.
Music shook the floor.
Grandma stopped inside the entrance.
“Oh, my.”
“You good?”
“There are a lot of people.”
“We can leave.”
She looked at me.
“After you paid for these tickets?”
“Absolutely.”
“Over my dead body.”
“That can be arranged later.”
She pinched my arm.
We entered.
People noticed.
Of course they did.
First confusion.
Then whispers.
Most weren’t cruel.
Just curious.
A few classmates smiled.
One girl actually came over and told Grandma she loved her dress.
I saw relief on Grandma’s face.
Maybe this would be okay.
Then Chloe appeared.
She wore a dark green dress.
Her hair was pinned up.
The silver crescent pendant rested against her collarbone.
When she saw Grandma, she stopped walking.
For one strange second, neither woman spoke.
Grandma looked like she had forgotten how to breathe.
Chloe recovered first.
“Mrs. Bell.”
“You look beautiful, Chloe.”
“So do you.”
Grandma’s eyes shimmered.
Chloe hugged her.
Not a polite half-hug.
A real one.
I stood there awkwardly.
“You two hiding something from me?”
They separated.
Grandma wiped beneath one eye.
“Old women cry at everything.”
Chloe smiled, but something was wrong.
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
She looked nervous.
“Can I talk to you later?” she asked me.
“Sure.”
“Alone?”
Grandma turned sharply toward her.
Chloe noticed.
Something passed between them.
I missed it completely.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
Chloe nodded.
“Yeah.”
Then Blake called from across the room.
“Mercer! Photo!”
Chloe sighed.
“Later.”
She walked away.
Grandma watched her go.
Again, that expression.
Love.
Pain.
Something else.
“Grandma.”
“Yes?”
“What is going on?”
“Nothing.”
That answer would become important.
At the time, I just groaned.
For the first hour, prom was almost fun.
Grandma sat with two teachers and told embarrassing stories about me.
I ate enough miniature desserts to shorten my life expectancy.
Chloe danced with friends.
Blake made speeches with his hands.
Then the DJ announced the first slow dance.
Couples flooded the floor.
Grandma looked down.
I stood.
She immediately shook her head.
“No.”
“You promised.”
“Here?”
“That is generally where dancing occurs.”
“Everyone’s watching.”
“No one cares.”
Another lie.
I extended my hand.
For a moment, she just stared at it.
Then she put her hand in mine.
And that’s when Blake laughed.
