Noah looked genuinely offended.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m asking you.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“When we get to high school, I’ll take you to the biggest dance they have.”
“The prom?”
“Sure. The prom.”
Lily’s entire face changed.
“You promise?”
Noah held out his little finger.
“Promise.”
She wrapped hers around it.
Then she turned toward me triumphantly.
“You heard him, Hannah.”
I laughed.
“I heard him.”
None of us understood how much that small promise would matter.
The Future I Thought Was Mine
As we grew older, Noah remained part of our family.
He came over after school, raided our refrigerator, helped my father repair things in the garage, and sat through Lily’s favorite movies so many times that eventually he could quote entire scenes.
My parents liked him.
At least, I believed they did.
