He smiled nervously.
I could tell he was trying hard to make a good impression.
Then he saw Iris.
His entire expression changed.
“Wow.”
Iris blushed.
I smiled.
For the first time in a long time, everything seemed right.
I took photographs.
Far too many photographs.
Iris complained about how embarrassing I was.
I told her she would thank me someday.
Ryan laughed.
Then they left.
I stood at the front door watching their car disappear down the street.
I remember thinking:
This is what I wanted for her.
A normal teenage memory.
A beautiful night.
A story she would remember years later and smile about.
I had no idea how wrong I was.
The First Message
A few hours later, I was sitting on the couch when my phone buzzed.
It was Iris.
The message was written in all capital letters.
MOM. YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED.
I immediately sat upright.
My first thought was that she’d been embarrassed.
My second was that she’d gotten into some kind of trouble.
I typed:
What happened? Are you okay?
Her response came quickly.
I’M FINE.
Then:
I’LL TELL YOU WHEN I GET HOME. IT’S CRAZY.
I stared at the screen.
“Crazy” could mean anything coming from Iris.
Maybe Ryan had surprised her.
Maybe someone had fallen into the punch bowl.
Maybe there had been an argument.
Maybe she’d gotten an unexpected award.
I smiled despite myself.
I typed:
Okay. Have fun. Call me if you need anything.
She didn’t respond.
I checked the clock.
10:47 p.m.
