I felt a lump in my throat. I sat down beside her and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Of course it matters, darling. Your father would want you to shine tonight. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
My daughter pressed her lips together, thoughtful. “I want to honor him. Even if it’s just the two of us.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. Keith’s voice echoed in my mind: “I’ll take her to every father-daughter dance, Jill. Every single one. I promise.”
I had made that promise, and now it was my turn to keep it.
She handed me her shoes. “I miss Dad. He used to tie my shoelaces.”
I knelt down and tied them, making a double knot, just like Keith always did. “He said you looked beautiful. And he was right, Katie.”
She smiled, briefly revealing her former self. Then she pinned the “Daddy’s Girl” badge over her heart.
Downstairs, I grabbed my bag and coat, ignoring the pile of unpaid bills on the counter and the platters of food from neighbors we barely knew.
Katie hesitated in the doorway, looking down the hallway, as if she were waiting, even if only for a moment, for Keith to appear and hug her.
The walk to school was silent. The radio played softly, with one of Keith’s favorite songs.
I kept my eyes fixed on the road, blinking back tears when I saw Katie’s reflection in the window, moving her lips as she sang the lyrics.
Outside the elementary school, the parking lot was full. Cars lined up on the sidewalk, and groups of parents waited in the cold, laughing and holding their daughters in their arms.
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Her happiness seemed almost cruel. I squeezed Katie’s hand.
“Ready?” I asked in a weak voice.
—I think so, Mom.
Inside, the gym was bursting with color: streamers, pink and silver balloons, a photo booth full of fun props. Pop music blasted off the walls. Parents and daughters twirled under a disco ball, their shoes sparkling.
Katie slowed her pace as she entered.
“Do you see any of your friends?” I asked, scanning the room.
—They are all busy with their parents.
We moved along the edge of the dance floor, close to the wall. With every step, people stared at us: at my simple black dress and at Katie’s overly daring smile.
Molly, a girl in Katie’s class, waved to us from across the room as her father twirled her around in an awkward waltz. “Hi, Katie!” she exclaimed. Her father greeted us with a quick, polite nod.
Katie smiled, but didn’t move.
We found a spot by the mats. I sat down and Katie curled up next to me, knees drawn up, her badge gleaming in the colored lights.
She watched the dance floor, her eyes filled with hope. But when a slow song began, the weight of missing Keith seemed to shrink her even further.
“Mom?” he whispered. “Maybe… maybe we should go home.”
At that moment, a group of mothers sped past, their perfume filling the air. At the front was Cassidy, the queen of the parents’ association, perfect as ever.
He saw us and stopped, with a gentle expression that seemed to show pity.
“Poor thing,” she said, loud enough for the others to hear. “Events for complete families are always difficult for children from… well, you know. Incomplete families.”
I tensed up, my pulse racing.
“What did you say?” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care.
Cassidy smiled slightly. “I’m just saying, Jill, that maybe some events aren’t for everyone. This is a father-daughter dance. If you don’t have a father…”
“My daughter has a father,” I interrupted. “He gave his life defending this country.”
Cassidy blinked, surprised. The other mothers suddenly became very interested in their bracelets and phones.
The music changed again: one of Keith’s old favorite songs, the one he and Katie used to dance to.
In the living room, Katie snuggled up to me, hiding her face in my sleeve.
—I wish I were here, Mom.
“I know, darling. I wish it every day,” I murmured, stroking her hair. “But you’re doing so well. I’d be so proud of you.”
She looked up, her eyes shining. “Do you think he’d still want me to dance?”
“I think I’d want you to dance more than ever. I’d say, ‘Show them how it’s done, Mariquita.'” I forced a smile as I felt a knot in my stomach.
Katie pressed her lips together, holding back tears. “But I feel like everyone is watching us.”
The silence around us was thick; too many people pretending not to notice.
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