Three years after my mother passed away, our house still felt heavy with silence.
Dad and I moved through each day carefully, pretending the empty chair at the dinner table didn’t hurt as much as it did.
Then Dad started dating Alexis. Four months later, she and her daughter, Brianna, moved into our home. One of the first things Alexis did was pack away every trace of my mother.
Brianna was my age and went to my school. At first, she and Alexis were quietly unkind. Then they became bolder.
When prom season arrived, Dad gave Alexis money to buy dresses for both of us. For the first time, she smiled at me like she actually cared.
But the next evening, when she handed me my garment bag, I knew something was wrong.
Inside was an old mustard-gold dress that smelled faintly of storage. Across the hall, Brianna screamed with joy over her sparkling blue gown.
At prom, Brianna made sure everyone noticed me.
“Did someone lose a bet tonight?” she called out.
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