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His excitement was infectious.

Later in the day he called again to make sure I had rested and was ready for what he described as a life experience. I began to prepare myself nearly two hours before he was to come by. My grandmother was in and out of my room the whole time, fidgeting with my gown, my shoes, checking on my makeup and nay hair, acting more nervous about the prom than I was. My grandfather finally told her to leave me be.

"You're driving her crazy," he said.

"I just want her to be--"

"She'll be; she'll be. Relax, Elaine," he said, and finally she retreated to sit with him to wait for me to descend.

I did the best I could to stuff my own nervousness deep down inside me. Before I left my room, Aunt Zipporah called to hear how I looked in my gown and wish me a good time.

"I almost drove over to see you off, but Tyler said I would make you nervous."

"You would," I said, and she laughed.

"Make sure I get a picture."

"Okay."

"Have a great time, honey."

"Okay," I said as if it was all up to me.

Finally, I started down. Craig was due any minute. My grandparents, both pretending to be interested in what they were reading, nearly leaped out of their chairs. My grandmother couldn't help herself. She had to get up to fix one or two strands of my hair that had come loose from my hairpiece.

"You look fantastic, Alice," my grandfather said. "It's like a real princess came downstairs."

I smiled at him If only I could find someone to love me half as much as he did, I'd be fine, I thought. We heard the doorbell ring. My grandmother gave my grandfather a look, and he hurried to get their camera. Then she let Craig in.

He looked so handsome in his tuxedo. His face was beaming with excitement, and when he saw me, he looked like he had lost his breath.

"Wow," he declared. "I've got the prom queen for sure. Do I know talent, or do I know talent?"

"Oh, shut up. And stop congratulating yourself so much," I said.

He laughed and produced my corsage. As he pinned it on me, my grandfather started to take pictures. We posed for a few, and then my

grandparents followed us out to look at the car.

"A beaut," my grandfather said. "I've been envious of the Echerts for years because of that car."

"She rides like a dream," Craig told him My grandfather looked in the window at the seats and dashboard and whistled.

"Brings back memories," he said. "Nights in the drive-in, cruising .

"Keep those memories to yourself, if you don't mind," my grandmother told him, and they laughed.

Then they both hugged me, and Craig ran around to open the door for me.

"Have a wonderful time, you two," my grandfather said.

"Call us in the morning," my grandmother said. "Please. And be careful."

"We will," Craig said.

He started the engine, nodded at them and then we drove off. I thought I had been holding my breath the whole time, waiting to see if I would wake up and discover it had all been a dream. Craig reached over to squeeze my hand gently.

"We did it," he said. "And you are beautiful, Alice. You're truly like a discovery, a treasure, someone who has been hidden away too long." He laughed. "If we were real socialites, this would be your coming out party, like some debutante."