Her friends stood awkwardly by the wall, unsure whether to leave. I looked at them and shook my head. “Don’t you dare go anywhere. My daughter is at prom.” Then I held out my hand. “Carol, will you dance with your mother?” Specialoccasion attire
She laughed through her tears and took my hand. We swayed in the middle of that tiny hospital room while her friends clapped softly and Daryl wiped his eyes. For that moment, we didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. We only knew we had tonight.
Four weeks later, Dr. Patel told us the numbers had steadied. It was not a cure, not a miracle, but it was more time. And sometimes more time is the greatest gift. I still don’t know what the future holds, but I know this: the night Carol’s friends brought prom to her hospital room was the night we stopped pretending. Honesty gave us back something fear never could, and we have been living fully ever since.
