Page 85 of Hard to Love

Finn Sanderson, I don’t know what you’re doing for our last night, but I’m here for it.

At the hour mark, I glance in the mirror one more time before I leave my room to meet Finn.

The woman staring back at me is so very different than the one who was carried into this house two months ago. She was broken and beaten down. The woman looking back at me is confident, independent, and strong.

She’s also putting on a brave face to try and enjoy whatever Finn has in store for her tonight instead of being sad about what comes tomorrow.

With a deep breath, I open my bedroom door and head upstairs where there is a patio on the roof.

I expect a romantic table for two with dinner and candlelight. That’s the only thing my mind can come up with that Finn has done.

But when I clear the last step and look around, a little yelp escapes my mouth.

The rooftop patio is decked out like a high school prom. There’s a photo booth, a deejay in the corner, sparkly decorations, and sashes for prom king and queen laid out on the table beside me.

And standing in the middle of it all is one Finn Sanderson with a tuxedo on, complete with a vest that matches my dress.

“Finn.” It’s all I can think to say as I take in all the special touches that are simply incredible.

“You said you never got to go to prom so I wanted to give you another first worth noting.” He takes a step toward me, his grin captivating, and holds out a box for me.

“What’s this?”

“No prom is complete without a corsage, right?”

I open the container and slip the corsage over my wrist. When I look up to meet his eyes, I have tears swimming in mine. “Thank you.” I shake my head, at a loss for words. “No one has ever done anything this thoughtful for me before.”

“Uh-uh.” He lifts my chin up so I’m forced to meet his eyes. “Don’t be sad. It’s our prom night and you know what that means, right?”

“No.” I giggle as the deejay starts up the music. Of course, it’s one of the most popular songs of what would have been my prom year.

“It means it’s time to party!” Finn yells.

And we do.

We dance like teenagers, drink spiked punch, and take way too many pictures in the photo booth. Photos I know I’ll cherish in the weeks to come. We even have a mock crowning ceremony for the prom king and prom queen.

“What was your prom like?” I ask as we eat cupcakes by a firepit he set up overlooking the water.

“I’m pretty sure I drank too much. I know I didn’t dance at all, except for the slow ones, because what eighteen-year-old guy doesn’t not want to rub up against his date, and I know for certain we got home way past curfew because her dad was pissed.”

“Why does that not surprise me?” I laugh.

He shrugs and laughs. “Because you know me too well.” He leans forward and brushes his lips against mine.

“What was her name?” I ask.

“Who?”

“Your prom date.”

“Jennifer Stevenson.”

“Wow. No hesitation. I’m impressed.” I laugh.

“Everyone remembers the name of who they went to prom with.” He leans back and takes a sip of his beer.

I watch the ocean breeze flutter through his hair, and I take in the flames of the fire dancing in his eyes. We sit staring at this for some time, enjoying the moment, letting it soak in, and trying to commit it to memory to help us get through the coming days.