I place the final jeweled clip in my chestnut hair and take a last look in the mirror at my reflection. The light, dusty-pink color of my dress accentuates perfectly the budding womanly curves I have. I feel like I’m getting ready for the Oscars, which one day I hope I will. Ever since I performed as an angel in the Christmas Nativity when I was five, I’ve wanted to be an actress. As soon as I finish school next year, I’m going to Hollywood, and nobody can stop me. I will become famous and appear in the best films Tinseltown is producing.
“Elise, hurry up or you’ll be late,” my mama calls up to me again, and this time, I grab my silver, sparkly handbag and head down the stairs. Leo is standing at the bottom looking up at me. He’s wearing a full tuxedo with tails and looks incredibly sexy. Like a male model.
“Wow!” he exclaims and runs his hand through his dark, almost black, hair. His mocha eyes glisten with lust.
“You approve?” I reach the bottom of the stairs and perform a dramatic twirl.
“I most definitely approve. I’m going to have to watch you all evening—everyone’s going to be trying to take you away from me.”
I stand up on my tiptoes and press a kiss, full of promise for later, to his lips.
“You don’t have to. I’ve only got eyes for you.”
My mama coughs from the corner of the room, and Leo and I pull apart. When I look at her, I see tears fill her eyes.
“Mama.” I race over to her and pull her into my arms. I remember a time when she was always bigger than me and was the one offering the comfort, but since my daddy died, it seems I’m increasingly the one she leans on for support. My daddy was killed in a horrific car accident—it was the reason I missed a lot of school and had to repeat a year.
“It’s all right. I’m ok,” she weeps, and I hold her tighter. “It’s just, you’re so beautiful. I know your daddy was looking forward to seeing you both go to the prom together, and he never got the chance. Why was he driving so insanely? I’ll never understand it. He was on the wrong side of the road and driving too fast. It wasn’t like him at all.”
“Mrs. Landry, I’m sure he had a reason. Mr. Landry was always so sensible. The greatest man I know…knew. Please, I’m sure he’ll be up in heaven watching down on us and seeing us go together.” Leo tries to calm my mama as I fight desperately to keep the tears at bay for my beloved daddy.
“I’m sure he will as well. It’s just so raw still.” My mama wipes away her tears and tries to calm herself down.
“It’ll be always raw. We’ll always miss him so much, Mama,” I offer.
I grieved for my daddy after his death. I went through the anger and the loss, but I’m coming out of the other side now, and that is primarily due to the support Leo has given me. He was my rock when the cops came and told us about the accident. He was by my side when I went with Mama to say my final goodbyes to the man who looked like he was peacefully sleeping. He didn’t even have a scratch on him. I couldn’t understand how he’d died when he didn’t look injured. It was Leo who cradled me after the funeral as I allowed all the emotion to flow out of me.
My mama hasn’t had that support. She lost the man who gave it to her, and I know she’ll never be the same. It crosses my mind daily what it’ll do to her when I leave for Hollywood, but I know my daddy wouldn’t want me to give up on my dream. He was the one who worked the extra shifts, so I could have more acting lessons. Next year is going to be an emotional one, but for now, I want to focus on the happiness and excitement of prom. Leo and I need it, especially as he leaves for Europe and a yearlong scholarship at a prestigious dance school next week. Thinking about it breaks my heart—I don’t know how I’ll cope without him by my side. He’s always been there.
“Anyway.” My mama shakes away her sorrow. “You two need to go to the prom and have a wonderful time, and I need to pour myself a large glass of wine and find a good movie to watch. Go on, go.” She waves her hands to shoo us away.
“Daddy will be happily watching over us, Mama. I know he will.” I kiss her on the cheek and then nestle into Leo’s side.
“So do I,” she replies—this time with a smile on her face
Leo presents me with the corsage he’s been holding: pink roses and ribbons to match my dress. We both kiss my mama goodbye and leave the house with Leo guiding me toward his waiting vehicle. It’s nothing special, a banged up Ford truck, but it’s been invaluable getting us around for the last year. He’s going to leave it with me when he goes to Europe, so I have something to drive. My mama’s been anti me getting a car ever since my daddy’s accident. I’ve not told her about Leo’s truck yet. I’m hoping she’ll just accept it as it’s a gift from him.
“Are you ok?” Leo asks with a worried look on his face as he helps me into the truck and then takes his position in the driver’s seat.
“I’m fine. I promise,” I reassure him and bury the sad feelings deep down inside me. Tonight is a happy night, and if everything goes to plan, it’ll be the night I give Leo a most special gift—my virginity. We’ve always had this crazy plan that our first time would be after prom, and I was shocked when my mama and Leo’s allowed him to book a double room for the night in the hotel where the prom is being held. They’ve always been proactive and supportive of our relationship, though. My mama did give me the talk about making sure Leo uses a condom, and I’ve been on the pill for over a year now. I’ve no doubt Leo’s mama has had the same conversation with him even though he’s not mentioned it to me.
I smile across at Leo.
“I’m so excited for tonight. It’s going to be amazing. Did I tell you Erin is going with Thomas now not Sebastian?”
“No? Why the change?” Leo asks as he starts the engine, checks his mirrors, and pulls away. He’s extra careful with me in the truck, and I appreciate it.
“Apparently Sebastian wasn’t going to get her the corsage she wanted, and Thomas said she could have whatever one she liked if she went with him instead. She’s been a right bitch about it. I feel really sorry for Sebastian.”
“No wonder he was messing up at football practice the other day. He really likes Erin…I’ve no idea why?”
Erin used to be my friend, but after my daddy died, she went really strange and stopped talking to me. No one knows why, but I didn’t have the energy to deal with her, so I just let her have her tantrum and concentrated on the people who did support me.
“Will you let me have a dance with Sebastian, if he’s alone?” I ask Leo. I feel guilty asking as I’m his date for the evening, but I don’t want our mutual friend to feel left out.
“Of course.” Leo takes a hand off the steering wheel and reaches down to squeeze one of mine. “As long as it’s only one. I plan to spend as much time with you as possible tonight. I’ll be leaving here far too soon.”
We both fall quiet.
Neither of us likes the fact he’s going away, but we know it’s for a good reason, and his career is not just important to him but also to me.
“How is your mamá’s packing going?” I finally break the silence.