Chapter One Hundred Twelve: The School Dance
The announcement came home in both twins' backpacks on a Monday afternoon.
Dear Parents,
The seventh grade will be hosting its annual Winter Formal on Friday, December 12th, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM in the school gymnasium. Students are encouraged to bring a date or come with friends. Semi-formal attire is requested.
Lina read the letter three times.
A dance. A real dance. With dates.
Her babies were going to a dance. Again. But this time, they were older. This time, it mattered more. This time, hearts might get broken.
She thought about her own middle school dances—the awkwardness, the nerves, the thrill of being asked. She thought about the boy she had liked, the song they had danced to, the way her heart had pounded when he held her hand.
She was not ready for her children to have those same memories.
But she had to let them go.
---
Lily was thrilled.
"A dance!" she screamed, jumping up and down. "A real dance! With boys!"
Lina raised an eyebrow. "With boys?"
"With friends, Mama. With friends."
Lina smiled. "Of course. With friends."
Lily ran to her room to start planning her outfit.
Leo was less enthusiastic.
"A dance," he said flatly. "With loud music and bright lights and too many people."
Lina sat beside him. "You don't have to go."
Leo was quiet for a moment. "I want to go."
Lina blinked. "You do?"
"Maya asked me."
Lina's heart swelled. "Maya asked you?"
Leo nodded. "She said it would be fun. She said we could hang out in the corner and make fun of everyone."
Lina laughed. "That sounds like a good plan."
Leo almost smiled. "I think so too."
---
The week leading up to the dance was chaos.
Lily tried on every dress she owned. She rejected them all. She needed something new. Something special. Something with sparkles.
Lina took her to three different stores before they found the perfect dress—a navy blue confection with layers of tulle and a bodice covered in sequins.
"It's beautiful," Lily breathed, twirling in front of the mirror.
"It's very sparkly," Lina agreed.
Lily stopped twirling. "Do you think Leo will be okay?"
Lina knelt down and looked at her daughter.
"Leo will be fine," she said. "He has Maya. And he has you."
Lily nodded slowly.
"I'll take care of him," she said.
Lina pulled her into her arms.
"I know you will," she said.
---
Leo borrowed a suit from Ethan.
It was still too big, but he didn't care. He stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the tie, while Maya watched from the doorway.
"You look nice," Maya said.
Leo shrugged. "I look like my father."
"That's not a bad thing."
Leo turned around. "Are you nervous?"
Maya nodded. "A little."
"Me too."
They stood in silence for a moment.
"Maybe we can be nervous together," Maya said.
Leo almost smiled.
"Okay," he said. "Together."
---
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.
Lily walked in on a group of friends, her navy blue dress catching the light.
Leo walked in with Maya, his suit too big, his face serious.
Lina and Ethan stood in the back, watching.
"They look so grown up," Lina said.
Ethan took her hand. "They are grown up."
Lina's eyes filled with tears. "I'm not ready."
"Neither am I. But we have to let them go."
They stood in the back, holding hands, while their children danced.
---
Lily danced all night.
She danced with friends. She danced with boys. She danced with anyone who asked.
Leo sat in the corner with Maya, making fun of everyone.
Lina watched them both and felt a strange mix of pride and sadness.
They were growing up.
They were finding their way.
They were becoming who they were meant to be.
---
The last dance was a slow song.
Lily danced with a boy named Jake, his hands on her waist, her hands on his shoulders. She was smiling. She was happy. She was exactly where she wanted to be.
Leo sat in the corner, holding Maya's hand.
Lina watched them and cried.
Ethan put his arm around her.
"They're okay," he said.
Lina leaned into him.
"I know," she said. "But I'm still going to worry."
"That's your job."
They stood in the back, holding each other, while their children danced into the future.
---
The drive home was quiet.
Lily was asleep in the back seat, her navy blue dress bunched up around her knees, a small smile on her face.
Leo sat beside her, staring out the window.
Ethan drove with one hand on the wheel and the other on Lina's knee.
"They had fun," Ethan said.
"They had the time of their lives."
Ethan was quiet for a moment. "So did we."
Lina looked at him. Her eyes were soft, her face relaxed, her smile gentle.
"We did," she said. "We really did."
Ethan squeezed her knee.
"I love you," he said.
Lina leaned her head against the seat.
"I love you too," she said.
They drove home in silence, holding hands, while their children slept in the back seat.
---
End of Chapter One Hundred Twelve