Then Iris came down the stairs.
Ryan forgot how to speak.
“Wow,” he said softly. “You look beautiful.”
Iris blushed. “You look very… tuxedo. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”
For a few minutes, everything felt normal.
I took too many pictures, and Ryan opened the car door for her.
I watched until their taillights disappeared.
Everything felt normal.
***
Hours later, my phone buzzed.
“Mom! You’re never going to believe what just happened!”
I smiled while replying.
“What? Is everything okay?”
Her reply came fast.
“I’ll tell you when I get home. It’s… crazy.”
“Good crazy or bad crazy, Iris? Are you safe?”
Her reply came fast.
***
By midnight, I had worn a path between the couch and the window.
At 12:07, headlights swept across the curtains, and I opened the door before they reached the porch.
“Iris?”
She came in first, eyes bright and wild.
“Mom, something happened tonight, and I don’t even know how to explain it.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No. It was just weird.”
Ryan came in behind her.
