That was all. It was enough.
After the music came back on, my aunt, who had been standing near the entrance the whole time without me knowing, found me and pulled me in without a word.
“I’m so proud of you,” she whispered.
That evening, she drove us to the cemetery. The grass was still damp from earlier in the day, and the light was going gold at the edges when we got there.
“I’m so proud of you.”
I crouched in front of Dad’s headstone and rested both hands on the marble, just like I used to press my hand against his arm when I wanted him to listen.
“I did it, Dad. I made sure you were with me the whole day.”
We stayed until the light faded completely.
Dad never got to see me walk into that prom hall.
But I made sure he was dressed for it, anyway.
Dad never got to see me walk into that prom hall.
