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“That you saw me for me.”
When she turned her face towards his, their foreheads almost touching, she lost herself in the depths of his dark eyes. “I always did,” she said. “Though you have to admit, I was lacking in that department, too. How could I not have known?”
“Because I didn’t let you.” His voice was soft now, as soft as the look in his eyes which he turned from her penetrating gaze. “What about these?”
They were through the stack of photos from Judith, their intermittent laughter throughout helping to ease the tension she felt about opening the other photos.
The ones they had taken.
“I haven’t seen them,” she admitted. “I don’t even know if they turned out.”
He picked up the first envelope and pried open where it had been glued shut. “Damn, you really haven’t opened them.”
“What, did you think I was lying?”
“Nope, just trying to ease the tension.” He glanced over at her. “You seem nervous.”
“There’s a lot of memories in there.”
“I know.”
The silence stretched, broken only when Lorenzo removed the photos.
“Shall we?”
Her smile was small but soft. “Okay.”
“A ha,” he said, looking at the first photos. “Pre-prom. How many pictures did your parents take?”
“Plenty,” she laughed.
“You always wanted the memories.”
“Yes, I did. Oh...Justin acting up and Judith giving him the evil eye.”
“You should give this one to them,” Lorenzo said with a laugh. “Oh...”
The next one was the two of them standing side by side and gazing at one another rather than the camera. His blue bow tie and cummerbund were the same color as her dress, a beautiful sky blue that had her gray eyes glowing as they looked up at him.
“I remember this.” His voice was full of emotion. “I remember everything about this. Your mother took this picture. Your father kept telling us to look at the camera, but we didn’t. I couldn’t take my eyes off you, Trina. You were absolutely stunning that night.” He paused for a moment, his glance never leaving the photo. “You always are, by the way.”
“Thank you,” she replied, her voice soft. She was afraid to let him know that he was also stunning, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable as that’s what he’d been told so often by those who took advantage of their places of power over him. Instead, she put her head on his shoulder, her eyes also on the photograph, the scent of him surrounding her.
They flipped through the photographs, immersed in memories together. Lorenzo would always know the song, who took the photograph, what came next.
The next folder, though, had them both staring at it as it sat unopened. “Are you ready?” he finally asked. She inhaled deeply and let it out with a sigh.
“Yes.”
These were photos they’d taken after prom, when they’d made their way to the hillside on the Torrence estate. The first was of Lorenzo, tie discarded, first button of his shirt undone as he laid back, his head on his jacket, and looked at the stars.
“I love this,” she said softly.
“I was so torn.”
“About?”
“Because I knew I was leaving soon. I didn’t know how soon, just that I was. Even if it had just been through graduation, because then their obligation would be fulfilled. I would be out of the system.”
