"Come on, Mei-Li. You can't stay upstairs forever," Melendez called up the stairs.
"I'm not quite ready yet," said Mei-Li.
"Honey, I'm sure you look fine. Dani will still think you're beautiful no matter what," said Lim.
"Fine," Mei-Li descended the stairs, wearing a peach, floor-length dress. She had complementary black heels, her hair was curled, and her nails and makeup were done.
"You look beautiful, mija," said Melendez.
"Thank you," said Mei-Li.
"Will I get to go to prom one day?" asked Carlos.
"When you're Mei-Li's age," said Lim.
"What were your senior proms like?" asked Mei-Li.
"I was drug through a department store by Aunt Laura and forced to try on fancy dresses that I never wore again," said Lim, "The night of my senior prom, my date ignored me the entire night, and then, got wasted at the after party. I spent the entire night talking to Aunt Laura, whose date ignored me along with mine."
Mei-Li looked at Melendez, "I was prom king and my date was the queen. We had a great time."
"Who did you manage to get to go with you sorry ass?" Lim asked and smiled.
"Her name was Marina Gomez. She was head cheerleader as well as president of the Student Government Association. She was more than willing to go with the captain of the State of Texas Champion baseball team," boasted Melendez.
"Good thing we didn't go to the same high school, because we were two opposite personalities," said Lim.
"What were you like in high school, Mom?" asked Mei-Li curiously.
"I played softball," said Lim.
"And?" asked Melendez.
"I was in Future Medical Professionals."
"And?"
"The Comic Book Club and the Dungeons & Dragons Club. You happy?" asked Lim.
Melendez and Carlos laughed while Mei-Li said, "I think we all know you were a nerd in high school, Mom."
"High school? She was wearing an Avengers t-shirt on our first day of residency and I proposed to her in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood," said Melendez.
"As opposed to the man who tried to start a Star Trek club at his high school and whose life goal it is to watch all of the Star Wars movies in a week?" asked Lim.
The family heard a knock and Mei-Li said, "Mom, Dad, please don't argue nerd stuff in front of Dani," she said. Mei-Li answered the door and said, "Hi."
"Hi," Danielle said and smiled. Mei-Li let her into the house, and Danielle was wearing a light blue dress. Her blonde hair was in a braided bun, and her makeup complimented her facial features, "You look beautiful."
"So do you," said Mei-Li.
"Well, I guess we should be getting you ladies down to the Municipal Rose Garden for pictures," said Melendez.
"We'll follow behind you," said Lim.
Mei-Li and Danielle nodded before they went to Danielle's car. Once they were on their way to the garden, Danielle turned to Mei-Li and asked, "So what were you guys talking about before I arrived.
"My parents' obsession with goofy space movies, a role-playing game, and a fictional boy wizard."
"You mean Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, and Harry Potter?" asked Danielle.
"You know what it's like at my house," said Mei-Li.
They arrived at the garden where their friends from school were waiting with their parents. Mei-Li and Danielle gave each other their corsages and took plenty of photographs before they kissed their parents goodbye.
When they arrived at the prom venue, the first thing the couple did was have their professional prom portrait taken before entering the ballroom. The theme of the prom was Under the Sea, so the decorations had light green and aqua tones. There were balloons and streamers adorning the room, some cutouts of sea creatures, and star fish and sea horse center pieces on the tables, "Can you believe this is our last major event before graduation next week?" asked Danielle to Mei-Li.
"No," Mei-Li answered, "And after that, I'll be at Stanford and you'll be at Reed. Who knows what will happen."
"Let's just enjoy tonight," said Danielle, "How about some mocktails and pigs in a blanket?"
"I wonder if they have the crab balls they had at our junior prom?" Mei-Li asked as they went over to the hors d'oeuvres. Mei-Li ordered a virgin strawberry daiquiri while Danielle ordered a virgin piña colada. They enjoyed the carving station and the pigs in a blanket and the ice cream sundae bar. Most of their night was spent dancing with their classmates. A slow song started playing, so the couples at the prom began to gather out on the dance floor. Mei-Li and Danielle wrapped their arms around each other and Danielle smiled at Mei-Li, "It seems like our first date was so long ago."
"I know. That horrible mini-golf date where I hit my ball into various water obstacles not once, not twice, but three times. I'll chalk it up to nerves."
"You were nervous? Why? You seemed so confident."
"It was my first real date, and it was with a same-sex partner on top of normal pre-date jitters. And it hadn't been that long since I came out to Mom and Dad. And I still wasn't out to most of my extended family. I would just say my date's name was Dani and most of them assumed you were a boy. Hell, Tía Carmen and Tío Hector still think it's just a phase."
The song stopped and the Cupid Shuffle began to play, but Mei-Li and Danielle excused themselves from the dance floor to give their feet a rest, "I can't imagine having to deal with what you do."
"Oh, I know they love me. It's just that my sexuality doesn't stick with some of my older family members," Mei-Li said, "But that's the reality of my Mexican Catholic upbringing sometimes. But there are a lot of good things about it too. Like some years, we celebrate Nochebuena if all of my relatives are in town, so we get to stay up past midnight on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve."
After the prom ended, Danielle drove Mei-Li back to her house. She pulled up out front and said, "I guess I'll see you at graduation practice on Monday."
"I can't believe we're graduating," Mei-Li said.
She kissed Danielle and said, "Have a good night. I had a great time."
"You too."
Mei-Li entered her house, and Lim was still up, "Where are Dad and Carlos?"
"Both went to bed. Your dad has a meeting with a donor tomorrow at the golf course, and Carlos is going to a friend's house, so it'll be just you and me. How was prom?"
"It was fun, but also sad. I don't know what'll happen after graduation next week."
"Your adventures of high school will end and you'll create new memories at Stanford."
"Everly is looking forward to having me as a roommate. She can't stand her current one."
Lim chuckled, "First, it was me and Laura as college roommates; now, it'll be you and Everly, and Carlos will be in high school next year. You guys are making all of us feel old."
"I can't wait to start my journey toward becoming a doctor, though," said Mei-Li.
"You going to take over the St. Bonaventure ER for your dear, old mom?" asked Lim jokingly.
"No," said Mei-Li, "And you're not that old. You're only going to turn fifty-six next month."
"Guess I'm just feeling nostalgic."