stars

4

A dress hands loosely on my body as I look in the mirror. 

"You look beautiful," my mother says behind me.

Seeing my startled response, she quickly adds. "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you, I just wanted to see if you were ready."

I simply nod my head and take one more glance at the mirror before following her out of my room and down the stairs. After taking the pie to the the new neighbors, who my mother told me were the Ronans, the mother was so thankful for her kindness and welcoming nature that she decided to invite our whole family to a dinner. 

My little brother sits on the bottom step, his mind occupied with his phone. He is currently in the transitional elementary school to middle school phase where the phone is the priority and family is embarrassing. 

"Oliver, could you leave the phone at home?" My mother asks cautiously. 

Oliver simply rolls his eyes and leaves his phone on the bottom step. 

"Where's dad?" I ask, noticing his absence.

"He has been slumped with work. He says he is going to try to make it but you know how your father is with time." My mother offers me a timid smile. "Okay shall we go?"

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