“She knew?” I whispered.
Daryl nodded, his eyes wet. “She made us promise not to tell. She didn’t want you to spend the time crying.”
My breath caught. “This isn’t an early prom, is it?”
“No, ma’am,” he said softly. “It’s the only one.”
A sound came out of me before I could stop it. “How could she hide this from me? I’m her mother.” Daryl stayed beside me. “She wanted you to know tonight. Not after. Now. While she’s still laughing.”
I looked at the closed door and realized my beautiful girl had been carrying that fear alone. She thought she was protecting me. I folded the letters carefully, wiped my face, and walked back into the room. The music was still playing. Carol looked up, glowing, until she saw the envelope in my hand. Her smile faded.
“You read them,” she whispered.
