Some terrible truth that would destroy everything?
At my age, love felt borrowed. Like it could be taken away at any moment.
I had just learned how to be happy again. I didn’t know if I could survive another goodbye.
But I had to know.
***
When I pulled up to the address, I froze.
It was a building I recognized.
At my age, love felt borrowed.
My old school. The one where Walter and I had met all those years ago. Except it wasn’t a school anymore. It had been turned into a restaurant. A beautiful one with big windows and string lights.
I sat in my car, confused.
Why would she send me here?
I got out slowly and walked to the entrance. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. For a moment, I stood alone in front of the door. Taking a breath. Preparing myself.
Then I pushed it open.
I got out slowly and walked to the entrance.
The moment I did, confetti rained down on me.
Streamers popped. Balloons floated everywhere. Music filled the air. Not just any music. Jazz. The kind I used to love when I was a teenager. Everyone was clapping.
My daughter was there.
My son. Friends I hadn’t seen in years.
The crowd parted.
And there was Walter. His arms spread wide open. A huge smile on his face.
Confetti rained down on me.
“Walter? What is this?”
He walked toward me, tears in his eyes. “Do you remember the night I had to leave town? The night my father got transferred?”
“Of course I do. You were supposed to take me to prom.”
“But I never got the chance.”
“No. You left two days before.”
He took my hands. “I’ve regretted that for 54 years, Debbie. When you told me last year that you’d never gone to prom, that you’d always regretted it, I knew what I had to do.”
“No. You left two days before.”
My eyes filled with tears. “Walter…”
“I couldn’t give you a prom when we were teenagers. But I can give it to you now.”
The young woman from the wedding stepped forward. “I’m Jenna. I’m an event planner. Walter hired me to put this all together.”
I looked around. The room was decorated like a 1970s prom. Disco balls. Retro posters. Even a punch bowl.
My daughter walked up and hugged me. “We’ve been planning this for months, Mom. Walter wanted it to be perfect.”
The young woman from the wedding stepped forward.
I couldn’t speak. I just stood there and cried.
Walter held out his hand. “May I have this dance?”
The music started. A slow jazz song I remembered from high school.
Walter pulled me close. We swayed together in the middle of the room.
Everyone was watching, but I didn’t care.
For a moment, we weren’t in our 70s. We were 16 again. Back when anything felt possible.
We swayed together in the middle of the room.
Leave a Comment