I had the entire night planned out, nothing fancy or expensive. She was all about the little things and I knew that at entirely too young of an age. The look on her face was worth a million dollars to me when she opened the door.
That’s all the reassurance I needed.
“Bo,” she said, surprised. “You look, oh my God, you look amazing. What are you doing here?”
“I randomly rent tuxedos and knock on girls doors, just to see the look on their faces.”
She laughed and I followed suit. “I’m here to take you to your prom.”
With wide, teary eyes she conveyed, “What? I don’t have anything to wear. I don’t even have tickets.” She looked down at herself. “I mean look at me. I’m a mess.”
“I am looking. You’re perfect. Put on your dress.”
She peered up at me through her lashes with a slight grin and rosy cheeks.
“You know the one.”
She raised an eyebrow, contemplating what I said.
“I have the rest taken care of.”
She smiled big and wide as she shrieked before running up the stairs. I waited in the living room, looking at all our pictures on the mantle. I was in everyone one of them, along with the boys.
The sound of someone clearing his throat made me turn around. Her dad stood there, tall and intimidating. He had never appeared like that before. I figured he was about to start the “prom conversation.” Don’t touch my daughter, have her home by a certain time, no drinking, be responsible, and so on.
“Hey, Nate,” I greeted. We were on a first name basis with all of our parents since we were kids.
“How’s school, Son?” he asked, handing me water.
“Great. Finally finding the swing of things.”
“Good. Have a seat, Lucas, I’d like to talk to you for a minute.”
“Sure,” I breathed out, sitting beside him, turning to give him my full attention.
“I’ve known you a long time, your whole life to be exact. I can’t believe how fast time goes by.”
I nodded, taking in his words, mentally gearing myself up.
“Alex hasn’t picked a college yet, do you know that?”
I nodded again, except this time I braced myself for what was to come. It wasn’t going to be what I expected, it would be much worse. Changing the course of the entire night and everything that proceeded after.
They say everything happens for a reason, that we’re destined to meet certain expectations throughout the timeline of our lives. They’re inevitable. It’s already planned out. If that were true, then this would be the beginning of the end for us.
What happened next…
Forever changed the directions of our lives.
“We keep telling her that if she doesn’t decide on something soon she’s going to end up at Wilmington. We don’t want that for her. She needs to experience new things and grow up, Lucas. It’s been a very hard year for her, first the accident, and then Austin leaving, her being by herself. If it hadn’t been for your sister, she probably would have never hung out with anyone. I don’t have to tell you why she feels close to Lily, now do I?”
I set my elbows on my knees and bowed my head. I knew. I knew it all. I knew everything.
“You know Alex as well as we do. She’s stubborn and hard headed. It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve tried to talk to her. She wouldn’t listen to us. We’ve spent the entire school year trying to get through to her, but nothing. It doesn’t matter what we say she’s going to do what she wants. Did you know she applied and has been accepted to Ohio State?”
I shook my head. I didn’t.
“I didn’t think so. It’s been hard for her mother and me to watch her this year. It would hurt any parent to watch their child suffer from something you have no control over.”
I angrily shut my eyes, bile rising up my throat, but I swallowed it back down. I wasn’t mad at him. I wasn’t mad at Alex. I was mad at myself. Nothing would change what he expected me to do. It didn’t matter. I knew what I needed to do, even though it was the furthest thing from what I wanted. He was right, though. I couldn’t ignore the fact.
That. He. Was. Right.
“Except you, Lucas, you have control of it. You’re our last resort.” His words made a mockery of me and I knew it. My throat burned with the devastation looming.
“I know you love Alex, I know you’re in love with her. You wouldn’t be sitting here if you weren’t. That’s why, I know you’ll do the right thing and let her find her own way. Not follow yours. Do you understand, Son?”
I slightly nodded, tears pooling in my eyes. I kept my eyes closed, keeping my emotions in check.
“Maybe one day, who knows where life will take you, but now is not the right time. You both have so much growing up to do. She needs to find herself and stop being your Half-Pint. I want my daughter to be independent and make her own choices, decide what’s right for her, and she can’t do that with you around, Lucas. You know that, right?”
I vaguely nodded again, not being able to form words or even coherent thoughts for that matter. My hurricane finally turned on me, gripping me with the chaos of its forceful truths. Except this time, I wouldn’t take Alex with me.
I would set her free.
“You’re like a son to me. To both Jana and I. We love you, but we need to do what’s in the best interest of our daughter, too. I hope you understand that.” His hand seared when he placed it on my shoulder, leaving a scar for the future that didn’t include her. “Maybe tonight can be the closing of one door, but the opening of another for her, Lucas. For her,” he repeated, driving the nail into the coffin.
I heard the clicking of heels on the hardwood floor and immediately stood, turning faintly to wipe my face. I had never seen her look more gorgeous. The dress fit her exactly how I imagined, loose, but still managing to make her look stunning. Her hair flowed loosely down her face and back. It looked like she just took a brush to it. Her makeup was subtle, accenting her perfect, precise features, though I could smell the cherry lip-gloss from across the room.
She was breathtaking.
“Alex,” I stammered as she smiled shyly.
Her mom took picture after picture of the last moment we'd be happy together. I made a mental note to ask for one for myself. It would be a night of new beginnings for her and endings for me.
“Come on.” He placed his hand on the hollow of my back, spreading a warm heat throughout my entire body. He guided me toward the door and to his truck.
I tried to step up on the ladder, but my heel wouldn’t allow it. His hand reached out to help me, but I ignored it. Instead, I stepped down and loudly sighed, annoyed. I opened my purse and dropped my sandals on the sidewalk, throwing the heels in the bed of his truck.
I heard him laughing and met his gaze. “What? My mom made me wear those things. I hate them. They’re stupid.”
He laughed again, nodding in agreement. I jumped in the truck, closing the door behind me. We drove in silence to the dance. Before I knew it, we were walking through the doors of the banquet hall that hosted my prom. Decorations were everywhere and they seemed to go on for miles, as did the crowd. There wasn’t a place in the room that wasn’t covered in some sort of streamer, confetti, or balloon. We took a traditional prom picture with the photographer, but I didn’t get a chance to look at it since Lucas immediately placed it inside his tuxedo jacket. He grabbed my hand and I didn’t give it any more thought as I followed him into the ballroom.
We hung out like we always had, laughing and loving each other’s company. Austin was right when he said that we balanced one another out, we had our own dynamic.