« Ryan asked me to prom! »
Claire blinked. « Ryan? As in Ryan Mitchell? »
« Yes! »
« The football captain Ryan? The one everyone talks about? »
« Mom! » Iris protested, laughing as her cheeks turned pink. « Please don’t make this embarrassing. »
Claire pulled her daughter into a hug. « I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m just happy for you. »
And she was. Watching Iris smile with such unguarded happiness made Claire feel that perhaps all the difficult years had been worth it. Her daughter deserved a night when she could forget the questions surrounding her childhood, stop worrying about what other people might think, and simply enjoy being seventeen.
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For the next several weeks, prom became the center of their household. Iris compared dresses, searched for hairstyles, and debated which shoes would look best with the outfit she had chosen. She talked about flowers, photographs, music, and the possibility that Ryan might ask her to dance to her favorite song.
Claire listened to every detail, even when Iris repeated the same story for the third time. She helped arrange appointments, checked the dress alterations, and quietly put aside extra money for the little things her daughter wanted.
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There were moments when Claire found herself watching Iris from across the room and wondering how quickly the years had passed. She remembered carrying her home from the hospital as a newborn, promising herself that no matter what happened, her child would always know she was loved. She remembered the difficult nights when Iris had asked why other children had fathers who came to school events, attended birthdays, or waited outside classrooms.
