“He made his choice, Iris.”
She nodded because she had heard that sentence her whole life.
“He didn’t want the responsibility,” she said. “I know the drill, Mom.”
“That’s his loss, my darling.”
The lie came out smoothly because old lies knew the shape of my mouth.
The doorbell rang.
Iris jumped up. “He’s here!”
“I’ll stall him for two minutes while you get your shoes on.”
“Don’t interrogate him.”
“No promises.”
Ryan stood on our porch in a tux, holding flowers.
“Good evening, Ms.
Jane.”
“Just Jane is fine. Come in.”
“I promise I’ll have her home by midnight,” he said.
“Eleven fifty-nine. At midnight, I start calling hospitals.”
He smiled.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Then Iris came down the stairs.
Ryan forgot how to speak.
“Wow,” he said softly. “You look beautiful.”
Iris blushed. “You look very…
tuxedo. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”
For a few minutes, everything felt normal.
I took too many pictures, and Ryan opened the car door for her.
I watched until their taillights disappeared.
Hours later, my phone buzzed.
“Mom!
You’re never going to believe what just happened!”
I smiled while replying.
“What? Is everything okay?”
Her reply came fast.
“I’ll tell you when I get home. It’s…
crazy.”
“Good crazy or bad crazy, Iris? Are you safe?”
By midnight, I had worn a path between the couch and the window.
At 12:07, headlights swept across the curtains, and I opened the door before they reached the porch.
“Iris?”
She came in first, eyes bright and wild.
“Mom, something happened tonight, and I don’t even know how to explain it.”
“No. It was just weird.”
Ryan came in behind her.
He was pale.
Iris dropped her shoes by the stairs.
“Ryan’s stepdad showed up at prom.”
My stomach tightened.
“Okay. And?”
“He surprised Ryan. He flew back early from work because he wanted to see him in his tux before the night ended.
It was sweet at first. Ryan introduced me, and his stepdad froze. Like, completely froze.
He kept asking my name. Then he asked about you. Well, about my parents.”
My fingers curled around the doorframe.
“What was his name?”
Iris frowned.
“Tony.”
The room narrowed.
“Mom?” Iris said.
“Sorry. I swallowed wrong.”
“No, you didn’t,” Ryan said, looking at me.
Iris glanced between us. “Ryan, do you want water?
You have barely spoken since we left.”
