The following morning, I woke earlier than usual.
Sunlight was coming through the curtains.
I made coffee and sat at the kitchen table.
My phone was beside me.
There were a few messages from people who had attended the reunion.
One was from Carol.
She thanked me for spending time with her.
Another was from a former classmate who wanted to know more about the company.
I answered both.
Then I noticed a message from David.
He had sent it late the previous evening.
"Hope you had a good night, Mom. Call me when you're up."
I smiled and called him.
He answered quickly.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, sweetheart."
"How was everything?"
I laughed.
"Interesting."
He asked what I meant.
I told him about the reunion.
I mentioned Brenda.
I told him about the missing servers and the apron.
There was a short silence.
Then David said something I hadn't expected.
"Mom, you actually served people?"
"I did."
He laughed.
"That sounds like you."
I smiled.
"I wasn't going to stand around while the staff struggled."
He asked whether anyone had been rude.
I told him what Brenda had done.
His voice changed.
"That's awful."
"It wasn't pleasant."
"Did you tell her who you were?"
"Eventually, she found out."
I explained that Robert Sterling had brought the documents at nine.
David laughed again.
"I wish I could have seen her face."
I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me.
"That wasn't the important part."
"I know."
He became quiet.
Then he asked whether I had enjoyed the evening.
I looked at the coffee cup.
"Yes. I really did."
That was the truth.
We talked for a few more minutes.
He asked about the business.
I told him everything was fine.
Then we said goodbye.
After the call, I finished my coffee.
I thought about the photograph from the school album.
The committee member had promised to arrange a copy.
I wondered whether I should call and ask about it.
Then I decided to wait.
There was no hurry.
A little later, the phone rang again.
It was Chloe Jenkins from the Fairmont Plaza.
I answered.
"Hello, Chloe."
"Mrs. Caldwell, I hope I'm not calling too early."
"Not at all."
She wanted to check whether I had been satisfied with the event.
I told her everything had gone well.
She sounded relieved.
"The banquet captain said your help made a real difference."
I laughed.
"She did most of the work."
Chloe agreed.
Then she mentioned that the staff had appreciated the additional support.
I told her to pass along my thanks.
She said Robert had also been pleased that the agreement had been completed.
I looked toward the coffee pot.
"Everything was handled properly."
There was a pause.
Then Chloe asked whether I had been uncomfortable with the way the evening had unfolded.
I understood what she meant.
She knew Brenda had handed me the apron.
She had probably heard about it from the staff.
I answered honestly.
"At first, it brought back some unpleasant memories."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. The staff did nothing wrong."
Chloe thanked me.
Then she asked whether I would be attending another reunion if one were organized.
I laughed.
"Let's see how I feel when the time comes."
We said goodbye.
I put the phone down.
For a while, I sat quietly.
I had spent years avoiding reunions.
I had convinced myself that I didn't need to see those people.
In some ways, that had been true.
But I had also been avoiding the feelings they brought back.
That was different.
I couldn't change the past.
I couldn't make Tommy behave differently.
I couldn't make Brenda kinder.
I couldn't go back and stand beside my mother in the kitchen.
But I could decide what those memories meant to me now.
I stood and went to the cabinet.
There was a small box of photographs inside.
I took it down.
I searched through the pictures.
There were photographs of Arthur and me when we were young.
There were pictures of David as a child.
There were family holidays.
There were old company photographs.
Then I found one of my mother.
She was sitting beside a sewing machine.
Her head was slightly tilted.
She was smiling at whoever had taken the picture.
I held it carefully.
She looked tired.
But happy.
I sat down again.
I thought about the dress.
I couldn't remember exactly what happened to it after prom.
I might have kept it for a while.
Eventually, it was probably put away with other old clothes.
It wasn't the dress itself I wanted back.
It was the feeling I had before Brenda spoke.
The feeling of standing in front of my mother and believing I looked beautiful.
I had almost forgotten that girl.
I looked at the photograph of my mother.
"You were right."
The words came quietly.
Then I put the picture back in the box.
I closed the lid.
And I decided I would no longer remember that night only through the laughter.
Click here to continue reading: PART 15: Brenda’s Old Remarks Had Followed Me Into Adulthood, but I Finally Stopped Carrying Them Into Every Room
The Blue-Checked Dress That Taught Me How Much One Cruel Laugh Could Cost
Part 14 of 20
