Mom took a shaky breath and began talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Your promise to Noah wasn’t the first promise involving the two of you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What does that mean?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked toward the locked bedroom door as though she were afraid someone might hear us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Continue reading on next page\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
“Before you were born, Noah’s mother and I were best friends.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Wait… what?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Her name was Claire. We grew up together. We went to school together. We were inseparable.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’d heard the name before, but only once or twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had always assumed Claire was simply Noah’s mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“When she was pregnant with Noah, doctors warned her that his life might be complicated. She was terrified. Not because of Noah himself, but because people kept telling her what he wouldn’t be able to do.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wiped her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“She told me something I’ll never forget. She said, ‘I don’t want anyone to look at my son and see a diagnosis before they see him.'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt my throat tighten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Mom, I don’t understand. What does this have to do with tonight?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Everything.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She reached into the drawer of my nightstand and pulled out a small envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was old. The edges were yellowed, and my name was written across the front in handwriting I didn’t recognize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What is that?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Something Claire gave me twelve years ago.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at the envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Why didn’t you give it to me?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Because she made me promise not to.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart began pounding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What is inside?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom handed it to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Read it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My fingers trembled as I opened it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside was a single sheet of paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The handwriting was neat and careful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the children are still friends when they are older, please let them decide for themselves what their friendship means.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Who wrote this?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Claire.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I read the sentence again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Why would she write this?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mom’s eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Because when you were six, she heard you make that promise to Noah.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “She knew?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “She was standing outside the classroom.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I suddenly remembered that day\u2014the dinosaurs, the raisins, Noah holding out his pinkie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mom continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Claire told me that night that she was afraid Noah would spend his entire life being told what he couldn’t have. She didn’t want his disability to become an excuse for other people to make every decision for him.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n She paused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “And she didn’t want you to feel responsible for him either.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at the letter again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “So why did you stop me tonight?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mom took my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Because twelve years ago, I made Claire another promise.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n My chest tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “What promise?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “That if the two of you were still friends when prom came around, I would make sure you understood something before you went.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “What?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “You’re not going with Noah because you promised a little boy something.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “You’re going with him because you chose to.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n For several seconds, neither of us spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then Mom said something that completely changed the way I saw the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “There’s one more thing you need to know.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Noah asked me something yesterday.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “What?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “He asked whether you were going to prom with him because you felt sorry for him.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n My eyes immediately filled with tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I know.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Did he really think that?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “He didn’t know what to think. He’s heard people make jokes his entire life. He’s had people assume he couldn’t understand things. He’s had people treat ordinary experiences like special favors.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mom squeezed my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “He told me that you were different. But he was afraid that maybe you were only being his friend because you felt obligated by that promise you made as children.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stood up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Where is he?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Downstairs.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn’t even bother putting on my shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I ran down the stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Noah was standing near the front door, adjusting his bow tie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he saw me, his face immediately brightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Are you ready?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I walked straight toward him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Can I ask you something?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Do you really think I’m going to prom with you because I feel sorry for you?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n His smile disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I didn’t know.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I shook my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Noah, I’ve spent twelve years with you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “You survived my terrible singing.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He smiled faintly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “You survived my baseball lessons.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “You made me watch three hundred baseball videos.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Important videos.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I laughed through my tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “And you ate my birthday cake.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “You said I could.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I absolutely did not.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “You did.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Okay, maybe I did.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a moment, everything felt normal again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then I held out my hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Come on.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Where?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Prom.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n His eyes widened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Really?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Really.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He took my hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But before we walked through the door, I stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “There’s something I need to tell you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Your mom gave mine a letter twelve years ago.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n His expression changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Why?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Because she wanted us to make our own choices.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “She didn’t want me to keep a promise because I felt sorry for you. She wanted me to keep it because I wanted to.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Noah stared at me for several seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then he smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I wanted you to come.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I know.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Because you’re my best friend.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I know.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He thought about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “And because you owe me one dance.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “One?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “At least one.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n We stepped outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The evening air was cool, and the street was glowing beneath the porch lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mom stood in the doorway watching us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we left, she called my name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I turned around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She smiled through her tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Have fun.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n And we did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not because it was some inspirational story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not because Noah had Down syndrome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not because we’d made an adorable childhood promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We went because two kids who had met over a shared hatred of raisins and a love of dinosaurs had somehow grown into two teenagers who were still best friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the dance, Noah insisted on requesting the “least boring song.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the music started, he grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “You promised,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I know.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I remembered.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “So did I.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n And as we danced, I realized something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The promise we’d made at six wasn’t really about prom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was about refusing to let other people’s assumptions decide what either of us could become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Noah had never needed me to save him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He needed exactly what he’d always needed from me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A friend who saw him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not his diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not his limitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not what strangers assumed he could or couldn’t do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just Noah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My best friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And twelve years after that tiny pinkie promise, we finally made it to prom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mom took a shaky breath and began talking. “Your promise to Noah wasn’t the first promise involving the two of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9096"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9097,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9096\/revisions\/9097"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}