Prom night arrived faster than I expected.
I woke up early, even though Iris wouldn't need me until the afternoon.
I cleaned the living room.
I wiped the kitchen counters.
I checked the front porch twice.
There was no reason to be nervous.
Ryan was simply coming to collect my daughter for a school dance.
But mothers don't always need a reason to worry.
Especially mothers who have spent years trying to keep something hidden.
By three o'clock, Iris was upstairs getting ready.
I could hear music playing through her bedroom door.
Every few minutes, she called out asking me to bring something.
First, it was her hairbrush.
Then her makeup bag.
Then a pair of earrings she had left on the bathroom counter.
I carried everything upstairs.
When I entered her room the final time, she was standing in front of the mirror.
Her dress was hanging perfectly.
Her hair was done.
A small pair of earrings rested against her neck.
She looked older than the little girl I remembered.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
"Mom?"
She turned.
"Is something wrong?"
I shook my head.
"No. I'm just looking at you."
She smiled.
"Don't make me cry. I just finished my makeup."
I laughed.
Then I helped her straighten the fabric around her waist.
She checked her phone.
"Ryan said he's leaving now."
"Then I suppose we should be ready."
She walked toward the stairs.
Halfway down, she stopped.
"Wait."
She looked back at me.
"Do you think he'll like the dress?"
I smiled.
"I think he'll have trouble remembering what he wanted to say."
She laughed so loudly that I started laughing too.
For a little while, everything felt simple.
Then the doorbell rang.
Iris froze.
"That's him!"
She hurried toward the entrance.
I followed more slowly.
When I opened the door, Ryan was standing on the porch.
He wore a dark suit and a neat tie.
In his hands was a bouquet of flowers.
He looked nervous.
"Good evening, Mrs. Carter."
"Hello, Ryan."
He handed me a small smile.
"These are for Iris."
She appeared behind me.
When she saw the flowers, her entire face changed.
"Oh, Ryan."
He handed them to her.
"I thought you'd like them."
She held them carefully.
"Thank you."
I watched them exchange a shy smile.
Ryan was polite.
He thanked me for allowing him to take Iris to prom.
He told me what time he expected to bring her home.
I reminded him to drive carefully.
He promised he would.
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
Iris stepped outside with him.
Before leaving, she turned around.
"Mom, take a picture!"
I picked up my phone.
She stood beside Ryan, holding the flowers.
He placed one arm gently around her.
I took several photographs.
"One more," she said.
I took another.
She looked at the picture immediately.
"That's the one!"
Ryan smiled.
"Ready?"
She nodded.
I watched them walk toward his car.
Iris turned around once more and waved.
I waved back.
Then they drove away.
I remained on the porch longer than necessary.
The flowers had left a sweet smell in the entrance.
Her bedroom light was still on upstairs.
A pair of shoes sat beside the stairs.
I picked them up and placed them in the closet.
Then I went into the kitchen.
For the first time in months, the house was quiet.
I made myself a cup of tea.
I looked at the photograph I had taken.
My daughter was smiling.
That was enough for me.
Or so I thought.
A few hours passed.
I watched television without really following the program.
I checked my phone occasionally.
There was nothing unusual.
Then, shortly after ten, it buzzed.
A message from Iris.
MOM. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED.
I smiled immediately.
I picked up the phone.
What happened? Are you having fun?
I waited.
A minute passed.
Then another message appeared.
I'LL TELL YOU WHEN I GET HOME. IT'S CRAZY.
I laughed quietly.
I started typing another question, but stopped.
I didn't want to be the mother who demanded updates every five minutes.
I wanted her to enjoy herself.
So I put the phone down.
But something about her message stayed with me.
It sounded excited.
It also sounded strange.
I couldn't explain why.
I checked the clock.
Then I checked it again.
At eleven, I sent her a message asking whether everything was okay.
No response.
I told myself she was dancing.
At eleven-thirty, I tried calling.
The phone rang.
Nobody answered.
I put it down.
Then picked it up again.
I was beginning to feel ridiculous.
She was at prom.
She was seventeen.
She was allowed to be busy.
Still, I couldn't stop looking at the screen.
By midnight, my concern had become something harder to ignore.
I walked to the front window.
The street was quiet.
A neighbor's porch light was still on.
I checked the driveway.
Empty.
I returned to the living room.
Then I heard an engine.
Headlights moved across the curtains.
I stood up so quickly that my tea nearly spilled.
A car stopped outside.
The front door opened a few seconds later.
Iris came inside first.
She was smiling.
But it wasn't her usual smile.
She looked excited and confused at the same time.
Her cheeks were flushed.
Her eyes moved between me and Ryan.
He entered behind her and closed the door.
"Mom!"
She dropped her small purse onto the couch.
"Something happened tonight."
I looked at her.
"What happened?"
She opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
"I don't even know how to explain it."
Ryan stood quietly behind her.
I glanced at him.
He wasn't smiling anymore.
Iris suddenly turned toward him.
"Actually, let me get you some water."
She hurried toward the kitchen.
I watched her disappear.
Then I looked back at Ryan.
His expression had changed.
Completely.
The polite young man who had arrived with flowers was gone.
He looked at me with an expression I couldn't understand.
And I suddenly felt cold.
Click here to continue reading: PART 3: The Smile Disappeared From Ryan’s Face, and His Next Words Made Me Realize He Had Found Something I Never Wanted Iris to See
I Thought My Daughter Finally Had the Perfect Night, Until Her Prom Date Walked Into Our House With Something to Say
Part 2 of 20
