When I was six years old, I made a promise that I didn’t think would ever become complicated.
My best friend and I were sitting on the playground after school when we started talking about the future.
We talked about what we would be when we grew up, where we’d live, and all the things we’d do together.
Then, somehow, the conversation turned to prom.
We were only six.
We didn’t really understand what prom was.
But we knew it was something teenagers did, and we decided that when we were old enough, we’d go together.
We sealed the promise with a pinkie swear.
And for years, neither of us forgot it.
Twelve Years Later
High school passed faster than I could have imagined.
Then, suddenly, prom night arrived.
I was standing in front of the mirror getting ready when I heard a knock at the door.
When I opened it, there he was.
He was wearing his suit, smiling from ear to ear, and holding a corsage.
For a moment, I was six years old again.
The little boy from the playground was standing in front of me, and somehow we’d actually kept our promise.
I smiled and reached for the corsage.
