Gabe started to reach for my hand, which was resting on my leg, but he stopped halfway and instead grabbed his drink. Taking a gulp, he looked at Ryder. “Well, that was different,” he whispered.
Ryder quickly changed the subject and we talked about other things during lunch. When the bell rang, Gabe grabbed ahold of my arm. “Hey, do you have a minute?” he asked as I turned around.
I nodded. “Sure. What’s up?” I whispered. I couldn’t stand when it was just the two of us. That’s when it seemed my soul disappeared and my heart broke all over again.
Gabe was quiet as he pulled his backpack off and pulled something out of it.
I wondered what it was, but I didn’t have to wait long.
Gabe handed over a prom ticket. “I had promised that I would go with you, but things changed,” he whispered.
I still hadn’t taken the ticket from him. I didn’t feel right about it. I felt tears starting to form in my eyes. I had wished after we had broken up that Gabe wasn’t so nice, but he was. I wondered why he was being so nice to me. “Why are you doing this, Gabe? Why are you being so nice to me?” I whispered.
“Because you deserve it. I told you, Sarah. You deserve the best.” Gabe’s hand was still outstretched towards me, holding the ticket. Waving his hand, he said, “Please take the ticket.”
Timidly, I reached out for the ticket. I felt a tear fall onto my face. My chest tightened and my stomach dropped. I knew Gabe and I had broken up but this was kind of like putting the last nail in the coffin. To me this was it. I looked up into his eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Gabe nodded. “You’re welcome.”
The memories washed back over me as I sat at my vanity table and tried to apply my makeup. Hearing a knock on my door, I yelled, “Come in.”
“Hey, sweetie,” Mom said from my bedroom door.
Holding the mascara wand in my hand, I turned around and smiled. “Hi, Mom.” I could see something wasn’t right. She was biting her bottom lip and couldn’t seem to stand still. Putting the wand back in the mascara tube, I walked over to her. Placing my hands on her upper arms, I asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Mom whispered as she nodded her head.
“Liar.”
Giggling, Mom looked me in the eye and said, “I love you, Sarah.”
“I love you too, Mom,” I whispered. “Anything else?” I let go of her and crossed my arms.
Shrugging her shoulders, Mom waved her hand and said, “Oh screw it!”
My eyes bugged out of my head. “Mom!” I laughed out.
As Mom waved her hand, she said, “Look, I know it’s prom night, and I just—”
“Mom!” I screamed out. I didn’t want to hear what else she had to say. Wringing my fingers together, I looked down at my toes. I couldn’t look into her eyes. I was way too embarrassed. I could feel my face getting red and sweat forming in places I didn’t know existed.
“Sweetie, please look at me,” Mom whispered.
Doing as she said, I could see tears in her eyes. “Mom,” I whispered as I wrapped my arms around her. “What’s the matter?”
Hugging me back as tightly as she could, Mom shook her head in the crook of my neck and said, “I’m being such a baby.”
“You’re not a baby, Mom, but please—tell me what’s the matter.”
Squeezing me one more time, Mom pulled back. As she wiped her eyes, she said, “I know you’re growing up, baby. It’s just—” Mom looked at her feet, then lifted her eyes up to meet mine. Her chin quivered. “I’ll always see you as my baby.”
“Oh Mom,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her and held on. “I’m not going anywhere.” I let out a giggle. “I’m just going to the senior prom.” Leaning away from her, I kissed her on the forehead. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s just hard.” Walking over to my nightstand, she grabbed a tissue. After blowing her nose and throwing the tissue in the trashcan, she sat down at my computer desk.
Walking over to my bed, I sat down and grabbed a pillow, placing it my lap. I waited for her to continue.
After she sucked in a breath, she said, “It’s just you’re growing up, Sar. I knew you would.” She shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong, but—”
As she paused, I knew what was coming. I was definitely going to miss my mom when I moved off to college. I mean, it’s inevitable. Everyone grows up. I know our parents will always see us as their little ones, but they have to believe that we’ll be okay. After all, they raised us to be who we are.
Getting up from the chair, she walked over to me and sat down facing me. “I just—I didn’t think it was going to happen so fast,” she said as she grabbed my hands and held them in hers.