Je t'adore

Chapter 22: The Night Before

"Scarlet?"

Scarlet looked up from her book to find her father standing before her. His face wore a worried expression. But it faded as he brought himself to the grass and sat down next to her. He now had a small and gentle smile. They both rested against the old oak tree while the setting sun bathed them in what little light it had left. He said nothing yet Scarlet knew exactly what he was going to say.

"I'm not going dad. I don't want to."

"I'm not here to make you go," he replied gently.

"Then, why are you here?"

"I just think that it's an experience every dad wants his little girl to have."

"It's prom. It's nothing big. And not every girl wants to go to prom," she said blandly.

"You're right. Prom is just a fancy dance. It's the experience that's important. It's the going shopping, trying on countless dresses until you find the perfect one, doing your makeup, having someone you like take you there, him coming to the house, you walking down the stairs, and the drunk after party."

Scarlet let out a small laugh, "What do you know about after parties?"

"I was your age once." He smirked at her knowingly.

Scarlet's smile faded. "All those things--the shopping and dressing up--they feel empty without her."

Pulling Scarlet into a hug he said, "I know--but I still don't think you should miss out on such important points in your life. You have to start living for yourself or else life will just pass you by. Life didn't stop when she left."

He placed a soft kiss on her head and returned inside. Scarlet decided to stay a little longer in the darkness of the early night. She liked the feeling of the evening settling on her. It was cooling to her warm skin. All of a sudden, music started to play and it was coming from inside the house. Instantly, the backyard was filled with soft lights that were strung on the fence, in the tree, and across the yard. Her father emerged from the backdoor in a black and white tux.

"Will you dance with me, Scarlet?"

Sneaky tears surfaced and trickled down her cheeks. "I will."

They stood under the stars and swayed together until the melancholy night melted away.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Je t' adore"

"What does that mean?" He laughed.

"It means, thank you."

***

Scarlet's eyes slowly opened. She hadn't thought about that night in a while, and just like that night, in the darkness, tears rolled down her cheeks.