Part 7
Senior Prom
The school year was almost over. But not before Senior Prom. This time around, Stephanie didn’t have to wait for shy Landon to ask her to prom. It was a given. These two were more obsessed with each other than ever! Stephanie was excited but nervous for many reasons. First off, it was their first date without a chaperone! Yes even though they were 18 years old, Stephanie had a chaperone. For. Every. Date. Her little sister. Secondly , it was the first time that Landon was going to see Stephanie in something other than jeans and a T-shirt.
Stephanie had spent three weeks straight looking for the perfect dress. which was overwhelming in itself because Stephanie hates shopping for clothes. Loves fashion. Doesn’t have the patience to try on a million things. Anyways, after a million stores. Right when she was ready to throw in the towel, Stephanie asked her cousin to go with her and help her. They went to Davids Bridal. I know what your thinking. Ahhhh… was she going to go to prom in a wedding dress? As tempting as it was, no she didn’t. She finally found her prom dress and now she was ready for her first “real date” .
Stephanie went home that night, excited that she had found the perfect dress. When she got home she was greeted with a very important envelope. You see, Stephanie always aspired to be a lawyer. She worked very hard in school and had really big plans to become a big shot lawyer and eventually a Judge. She grew up in a single parent home and had already been mentally prepared to do life by herself because according to her mom, all men sucked. She had completely forgot that she applied for Yale right after she became official with Landon. She opened the envelope with so much anticipation. Unfolded the letter. Read the first line.
“Dear Stephanie, Welcome to Yale College. It is with the greatest enthusiasm that I write you this letter to congratulate you on your admission to the class of 2005. “
You’d think that she would be thrilled. All her hard work had paid off. But instead she was sad. All of a sudden she wasn’t sure that was what she wanted anymore. Going to Yale would mean living in a different state from the love of her life. The love that she had never thought could exist but still prayed for ever since she was nine years old. All of a sudden all she could think about was her day at Davids Bridal and how she knew she would be there soon enough shopping for her wedding dress. Not to say she couldn’t be a lawyer and a wife. She just realized that her idea of a perfect life had completely changed the moment Landon kissed her.
Stephanie took the letter put it aside and walked over to her prom dress and her decision was clear. There was no way she could go to Yale without Landon. A college in Florida will do. For the first time in her entire life, she knew exactly what being ” on cloud nine” felt like . Walking away from the guy she prayed for all her life was more of a risk than saying no to Yale.
Prom day was finally here! Stephanie spent the entire day getting ready. It was finally time for Landon to see her. When Landon saw Stephanie, his eyes opened wide and with a huge smile on his face he said
“You look beautiful”
When they arrived at prom, Stephanie grabbed her besties, went to the bathroom and told them “I’m going to marry that guy!” . It was the first time she had said it out loud to anyone besides her mom. The theme for prom was a night in Paris. Landon and Stephanie spent the night dancing, laughing, and planning how much they were going to eat after prom. They’ve always loved food to a flaw. A man after her own heart. It was the perfect night in Paris. She didn’t know it then but saying no to Yale and yes to taking a “risk” on the love of her life, at the age of 18, was the best decision she could have ever made. Without hesitation and much pushback from her loved ones, now she just needed to figure out her plan B.
To be continued…
Just joining us? Catch up on Our Story
Part 3: In the middle of the storm
Part 6: Our First “I Love YOU”
Part 9: Long Distance Hardships
