When my school announced prom, I wasn’t very excited.
When my school announced prom, I wasn’t very excited. I didn’t have a date, and the whole thing seemed like a big deal for no real reason.
Then I looked at my great-grandma, Alma, sitting in her chair and watching an old black-and-white movie.
“Did you ever go to prom?” I asked.
She laughed and said, “Sweetheart, girls like me didn’t get invited to prom back then.”
That stayed with me. Alma had been through a lot—she raised four kids, lost my great-grandpa too soon, and still managed to be the funniest and strongest woman I knew.
In that moment, I made up my mind.
I was going to take my great-grandma to prom.
At first, she thought I was kidding. “What would I even wear?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Something amazing,” I said, smiling.
A week later, she had a shiny blue dress, and I wore a tie that matched. When we walked into prom, everyone looked at us.
I expected some people to stare or whisper. But instead, everyone clapped.
My friends cheered, and even the principal got emotional.
Then, Alma started dancing.
She really started dancing—spinning, laughing, and even doing a little shimmy to a Bruno Mars song.
But the best part?
Halfway through the night, the DJ got on the mic and said the next song was for the “Queen of the Prom”—Alma. Everyone cheered as she smiled with happiness.
When the music started, it was an old song Alma had once told me about—“Always” by Ella Fitzgerald. Her eyes lit up.
“Want to tell me about it?” I asked.
She gave a soft sigh. “This was our song—mine and your great-grandpa’s. We used to dance to it in our living room.”
She closed her eyes, remembering. I held her hand, and we danced slowly, surrounded by her memories.
Everyone watched quietly, like they were taking a mental picture of that special moment.
After our dance, I stepped back, and soon my classmates and their dates started taking turns dancing with Alma. She lit up even more—laughing, talking, and showing off some classic dance moves.
Then came the biggest surprise of the night: the prom king and queen announcement. To everyone’s shock—including mine—... (continue reading in the 1st comment)