At age 6, I promised my best friend with Down syndrome that we would go to prom together; 12 years later, my mother told me I could go with him on one condition.

PART 1
On prom night, my mother locked my bedroom door.

That’s when I knew something was wrong.

Downstairs, Noah was waiting for me in a navy suit and the bow tie I’d been talking about for months. I could hear him laughing with my aunt through the floorboards.

Mom turned towards me.

“You can go with Noah tonight, Christina. But first, I need you to hear something.”

I stared at her.

“About?”

Her eyes turned towards the closed door.

“About Noah.”

Then he added in a low voice: