Dinosaurs.
The cruel classmate.
The promise.
“The prom?” I asked.
“Walk.”
Then he smiled.
“I already bought the bow tie.”
“When?”
“November.”
“Noah, prom is in a few months.”
“Stores are running out of stock.”
“They weren’t going to be left without bow ties.”
“You don’t know.”
And so, our promise from twelve years ago came true.
PART 2
On prom night, Noah arrived wearing a corsage.
I was halfway up the stairs when I saw Mom open the front door.
Her expression changed the instant she looked at him.
Noah stood there, smiling, in his navy blue suit and his ridiculous bow tie perfectly straight.
In one hand she carried the bouquet.
“What kind of flower is that?” I asked.
“Romero,” Noah said proudly.
“Why rosemary?”
“The florist said it means to remember.”
He smiled.
“And I remember the promises.”
Behind me, Mom made a strange noise.
When I turned around, my eyes were teary.
“Mother?”
“Get in.”
“What? Noah is waiting.”
“I know.”
Once we entered my room, she closed the door.
Then I blocked him.
“You’re scaring me.”
“You can go with Noah,” she said. “But first I need a promise.”
I immediately became angry.
“If this has anything to do with Noah having Down syndrome…”
“He doesn’t.”
“And then what?”
Mom sat on my bed.
“Do you remember when your father left?”
