Chapter Seventy-Four: The School Dance
The announcement came home in both twins' backpacks on a Monday afternoon.
Dear Parents,
The second grade will be hosting its annual Mother-Son Dance on Friday, June 14th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the school gymnasium. Sons are encouraged to bring their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, or any special female role model in their lives.
Light refreshments will be served. Semi-formal attire is requested.
Lina read the letter twice.
She thought about Leo, who hated dancing. She thought about Leo, who hated crowds. She thought about Leo, who would probably rather spend the evening reading a book about black holes than standing in a gymnasium full of people.
She showed him the letter that night.
"We don't have to go," she said. "It's okay if you don't want to."
Leo looked at the letter for a long time.
"I want to go," he said.
Lina blinked. "You do?"
"You're my mother. I'm supposed to dance with you."
"That's not a reason."
Leo was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I want to make you happy."
Lina's heart ached.
"Leo," she said, kneeling down to his level, "you don't have to dance with me to make me happy. You make me happy just by being you."
Leo looked at her with his serious gray eyes.
"I know," he said. "But I want to dance with you anyway."
Lina pulled him into her arms.
"Then we'll dance," she said. "Together."
---
The week leading up to the dance was chaos.
Leo tried on every shirt he owned. He rejected them all. He needed something new. Something special. Something that would not itch.
Lina took him to three different stores before they found the perfect shirt—a crisp white button-down with a small blue stripe.
"It's acceptable," Leo said, looking at himself in the mirror.
"It's handsome," Lina corrected.
Leo shrugged. "Same thing."
Lina smiled.
She bought the shirt.
---
Lina bought a new dress for the occasion.
She stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the straps, while Leo watched from the doorway.
"You look beautiful, Mama," he said.
Lina turned around. "Thank you, sweetheart."
Leo walked into the room and stood beside her.
"I'm nervous," he admitted.
Lina knelt down to his level.
"Me too," she said. "But we're going to be nervous together. And then we're going to dance. And then we're going to have the best time."
Leo nodded slowly.
"Okay," he said. "Let's go."
---
The school gymnasium was transformed.
Streamers and balloons and a disco ball that cast tiny lights across the floor. Tables covered in white cloths, with centerpieces made of flowers and candles. A DJ played music that was too loud and too fast and exactly right.
Leo walked in on Lina's arm, his head held high, his new shirt crisp and white.
"Wow," he said.
"Wow," Lina agreed.
They stood in the doorway, looking at the chaos.
"Are you ready?" Lina asked.
Leo nodded.
"Let's dance," he said.
---
They danced all night.
Fast songs and slow songs and songs that Leo didn't know but danced to anyway. Lina twirled him. She dipped him. She made him laugh.
Lina watched her son—her serious, thoughtful, beautiful son—and felt her heart overflow with love.
He was dancing. He was smiling. He was having fun.
She had never seen him like this.
"Are you having a good time?" she asked.
Leo nodded. "I'm having the best time."
Lina's eyes filled with tears.
"Me too," she said.
---
The last dance was a slow song.
Lina held Leo in her arms, his head on her chest, his feet on top of hers. They swayed back and forth, not moving much, not needing to.
"I love you, Mama," Leo said.
Lina kissed the top of his head.
"I love you too, sweetheart. More than anything."
Leo looked up at her.
"Thank you for dancing with me," he said.
Lina smiled.
"Thank you for letting me," she said.
---
The drive home was quiet.
Leo was asleep in the back seat, his new shirt slightly wrinkled, a small smile on his face.
Ethan drove with one hand on the wheel and the other on Lina's knee.
"He had fun," Ethan said.
"He had the time of his life."
Ethan was quiet for a moment. "So did you."
Lina looked at him. Her eyes were soft, her face relaxed, her smile gentle.
"I did," she said. "I really did."
Ethan squeezed her knee.
"You're a good mother," he said.
Lina shook her head. "I'm just his mom."
"That's the same thing."
Lina leaned her head against the seat.
"Thank you," she said. "For giving me this life."
Ethan smiled.
"Thank you for staying," he said.
They drove home in silence, holding hands, while their son slept in the back seat.
---
The Next Morning
Leo woke up early, still wearing his new shirt.
He ran into the kitchen, where Lina was making pancakes.
"Mama! Mama! Last night was the best night of my whole life!"
Lina smiled. "Better than your birthday?"
"Better than all my birthdays combined."
"Better than the science fair?"
Leo thought about it. "Almost as good as the science fair."
Lina laughed.
She put a plate of pancakes in front of her son.
"Tell me everything," she said.
Leo told her.
Every detail. Every song. Every dance. Every moment.
Lina listened to all of it.
And she thought about how lucky she was. To have this son. To have this husband. To have this life.
It was not perfect.
But it was hers.
And she would not trade it for anything.
---
End of Chapter Seventy-Four