We sat on the porch chairs, and she told me everything. Apparently, instead of mocking her dress, her friends had called it unique and unforgettable. She’d laughed and danced all night with them.
“This was the best night ever,” she said before going inside to rest. I stayed outside for a while longer and considered the future. This was the first night of the rest of her life. With a partial scholarship to study architecture, Emma was bound for college in the fall, but she would continue living here with me.
After all my sacrifices, I’d raised another good kid who didn’t care about money or the pressures of appearances. She was just like Mark, and this was her house. I hoped Melissa didn’t try to disturb that again.
