PROM NIGHT
I was upstairs fighting with an earring when the doorbell rang.
My aunt shouted:
“Sophie! Ethan’s here!”
“Two minutes!”
From downstairs, Ethan yelled:
“She said that fifteen minutes ago!”
Traitor.
I checked myself in the mirror.
Dress.
Curled hair.
Makeup my aunt had spent nearly an hour doing.
I was nervous.
Not about Ethan.
About prom.
About graduation.
About suddenly realizing childhood was almost over.
Then Mom opened the front door downstairs.
Silence followed.
Not ordinary silence.
The strange kind.
I stepped toward the landing.
Ethan stood in the entryway.
Navy suit.
White shirt.
Perfectly straight bow tie.
A small corsage in one hand.
He smiled.
Mom didn’t.
ELEANOR BENNETT LOOKED LIKE SHE HAD SEEN A GHOST
“Mrs. Bennett?”
Mom blinked.
“Oh.”
Then:
“Ethan. Hi.”
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
She absolutely wasn’t.
Her eyes went from his face—
to the corsage—
to his bow tie.
Then back.
“Sophie is almost ready.”
“I’m ready.”
Mom turned toward the stairs.
Her expression changed again.
“Come upstairs with me.”
“What?”
“One minute.”
“Mom, Ethan’s waiting.”
“I know.”
Ethan lifted the corsage proudly.
“I have this.”
I smiled.
“What flowers?”
“Rosemary.”
I paused.
“Rosemary?”
“The florist said it means remembering.”
He looked very pleased.
“And I remember promises.”
My smile softened.
Behind me—
Mom made a tiny sound.
When I looked at her, her eyes were wet.
“Mom?”
“Upstairs.”
This time—
she wasn’t asking.
SHE LOCKED THE BEDROOM DOOR
“Okay.”
I stared at her.
“You’re officially frightening me.”
Mom faced me.
“You can go with Ethan tonight.”
I folded my arms.
“If this is about him having Down syndrome—”
“No.”
“Because I’m eighteen.”
“I know.”
“He’s my best friend.”
“I know that too.”
“Then what exactly is happening?”
Mom sat.
“Do you remember when your father left?”
That was not the question I expected.
“What does Dad have to do with Ethan?”
“Nothing directly.”
“Then why—”
“Something happened that year.”
I stopped.
“You were twelve.”
“I know.”
“You stopped eating lunch.”
My arms dropped.
“How do you know that?”
Mom looked straight at me.
“Ethan told me.”
