MAYA POV
The evening of the dance had arrived and despite it being a day I was dreading it, those feelings only disappeared when I saw the look on Isabella's face. She looked beautiful, as captivating as her mama. The dress she wore was flowing, the glitter and frills sat just perfectly on her pink dress. Naturally, I'd spent weeks looking for something to match what she was wearing, luckily the bodysuit I chose didn't have the frills or glitter that our daughter loved.
"What is this mommy?" Isabela asked me, she'd been dressed for the past 15 minutes.
"This is a corsage, it's something person would give some else when they're going to a dance together. I found this corsage and look its pink and has some glitter like your dress" I'd crouched down as I talked, she was looking down towards the fake flower and back to me momentarily as I spoke.
"Can you put it on please?" She asked me, moving her left arm out in front of her. The corsage was a typical elasticated band covered in a silky material. Placing the band around it, she moves it closer to her face, using her opposite hand to feel the texture of the glitter encasing the pink, fake flower.
"Thank you, mommy" she says quietly, a flash of white light comes from our left. I turned to see Carina holding her phone up, her eyes were glassy, but her smile was radiating.
"I think we need to leave soon; shall we take some pictures for mama?" I asked her, she nods, and we spend a few moments taking both serious and funny pictures.
-
The drive to her school was quick, no traffic interrupted our drive which we were eternally thankful for. The school had a large banner inviting people towards the entrance, big balloons acted like checkpoints until we found the gymnasium. The music was louder and disco lights were lighting up anything and everything in the room at quick succession.
"Mommy, Lily is over there" Isabella pulled on my hand, dragging me towards a table filled with little girls. "Can I stay here?" Isabella asked, hopeful eyes penetrated my head. I nodded and she released her hand, showing off her dress to her friends who in turn gave her a little fashion walk. I took the time to leave, finding the drink stand on the opposite side. Making my way over there I take a second take to see my little girl twirling side to side as she danced with the other beautiful girls.
"I hoped I would see you here" a voice rang out next to me, the sort of voice that caused your ears to cringe away from its source.
"Okay?" I answered, my eyes stayed on my little girl.
"I also hoped you'd remember who I was. I've been told that I'm hard to forget" Kerry explained.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't think I do remember who you are, but I don't think I'm looking for a refresher. If you'd excuse me, I'd like to dance with my daughter" I confidently stated, walking away. Kerry huffs loudly and walks in the opposite direction. Isabella looked up to me as I arrived in front of her, a big smile on her face as she reached her arm out; the arm decorated with the corsage.
A song I recognised came on, a song that held some meaning in my life, my life with Carina. 'baby' by Justin Bieber played through the speakers.
"You and Mama's song" Isabella recognised. The memory of this song playing at our first wedding, our second wedding, and both of our children's births – of course, a smile would radiate from my face, nothing could stop that. I picked up my daughter and moved us around the lit-up dance floor, some dads were swaying with their children's hands in theirs, a group of mom's were sat together judging everyone around them – you could imagine that Kerry was planted right between them.
Once that song had ended, Isabella had left me to get herself a drink, I took the time to check my phone. There was only one text notification from my wife asking if I could pick up bananas on the way home – she hates bananas. The confusion on my face apparently became a conversation starter.
"Mrs Deluca-Bishop" Mr Smith recognised, he dressed as he usually did – waist coat, bow tie, tight chinos, and converses.
"How are you? Enjoying the dance?" He asked me, watching as I put my phone away.
"I'm good, how are you? Dances aren't quite my thing, but my daughter was excited, and I'd never let her down" I truthfully state.
"Yeah, I could tell that you're not quite the usual demographic for these sort of events, I'd have thought your wife would have been attending. She has the Italian rhythm that it seems you don't." He jokes, nudging my side slightly. I laugh alongside him; the laugh dies but we both stand and observe the dance.
"Oh, I actually wanted to talk to you about something" He broke my attention away. I quirked my eyebrow and soon I was bombarded with his issues around his romantic side of life. I fit in some advice but I'm sure most of it was pointless.
-
Time had sped by; I accompanied my daughter throughout every song that I could but soon the dance came to an end. Despite the sun being up, it felt like I was walking out from a club at 3am – is this what it feels like to be old?
I asked Isabella to say goodbye to her friends and we were soon in the car on the way home. It didn't take long for us to arrive home, for us to walk into the house to find my wife and Alex painting on the floor.
"Hi Stalker" I called out, Isabella ran off to her room to change into some comfortable trousers.
"How was it?" Carina asked, standing up and wrapping her arms around my neck. She pulls me into a bruising kiss that lasts mere seconds.
"We danced and danced; I think my body is broken. I also ran into someone that really wanted my attention again" I start to recall the afternoon and Carina listens intently to each word I say.
"Of course, Kerry would want your attention. Maybe I could give you a massage tonight before we go to sleep" Carina asked. I nodded and spent the rest of the day thinking about the massage Carina had promised.
