My daughter wanted a designer prom dress I couldn’t afford and rejected the dress I made for her and called me worthless.
I love my daughter and I want the best for her. I wanted her to have a better life, a better start than I did, and I think I’ve succeeded in giving her that, even though she probably doesn’t agree with me.
My husband and I divorced when she was nine. He left me for a wealthy, older woman, so I’ve been raising my Hannah on my own. My husband picks her up every other weekend and whisks her away to a life of luxury I can’t provide.
It’s not easy to compete with that and to be honest, I don’t even try. Things came to a head in her senior year when she told me she wanted a certain prom dress by a well-known designer — something that would cost over three times my modest salary.
“You’re such a geek, sometimes, Amy Loften!” Hannah cried, and after posing for snaps they all left. I turned on the TV and sat watching my favorite show, then I had dinner. I kept thinking about Hannah, and I hoped she’d have a magical night to remember.
I was in bed reading when I heard the front door opening a little after midnight. A little while later there was a knock on my bedroom door. “Come in!” I cried, and Hannah walked in. She had obviously been crying, and all of her carefully applied makeup stained her cheeks. She was carrying the glittery shoes by their flimsy straps.
“Mom,” she whispered, “Can I talk to you?”
“Of course, honey! What happened? Are you alright?” I asked, alarmed.
Hannah rushed over to the bed and into my arms. She started crying. “Oh mom, it was AWFUL! There were two other girls in the same dress as me and it was so embarrassing! And the prize…”
