Read Staying Together for Free Online

to college.
    â€œRobby?” called his mother from downstairs.
    Robby drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and said, “Coming!”
    On the drive to Mountain View, which was exactly twenty-six minutes long, Robby’s mother said to him, “I’ll be right next door in the lounge, having coffee with Daniel’s mother, if you need anything, okay?”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œDo you remember how to ask someone to dance with you?”
    Robby nodded. “Yes. I say, ‘Would you like to dance?’ and if she says no, then I say, ‘That’s okay,’ and I don’t push things. But if she says yes, then I take her to the dance floor and we dance but we don’t touch.”
    â€œYou can put your arm around her waist,” said his mother.
    â€œNo. That’s okay.”
    Mrs. Edwards smiled. “All right. And when the music stops, what do you do?”
    â€œI say, ‘Thank you for the dance.’”
    â€œPerfect. And maybe then you ask her if she’d like some refreshments.”
    â€œOkay.” Robby closed his eyes. Then he opened them suddenly and exclaimed, “Mom, I’ve been waiting for this day my whole life!”
    â€œLook, Robby!” said his mother as they pulled up in front of Mountain View.
    A banner with the words SPRING FLING in pink and yellow and green letters had been strung over the front doors of the building.
    â€œExcellent!” cried Robby.
    His mother parked the car and they walked across the gravel lot to the wooden building that Robby always thought looked like a giant cabin. As they approached the front doors, Robby saw two girls wearing dresses that came down to their ankles, shawls draped across their shoulders.
    â€œVery sparkly,” Robby whispered to his mother. And then he added, “I think one of them has Down syndrome like me.”
    Robby and his mother followed the girls into the building. The lobby was crowded with young men in suits and young women in gowns and parents holding cups of coffee. Robby peeked into the room where the dance was to be held.
    â€œWhoa, Mom,” he said in a low voice. “You have to look in there. Just
look
, don’t go in, because you’re my mom and I don’t want anyone to see.”
    Mountain View’s largest room had been transformed. Enormous paper flowers decorated the walls and brilliant paper butterflies hung, fluttering, from the ceiling. A mirrored globe had been placed among the butterflies and pinpoints of light shot around the darkened room. Robby could see a refreshment table along one wall. A young girl handed him a glowing necklace. That was when Robby realized that there were glowing ice cubes in a bucket on the table and strings of bumblebee and flower lights everywhere. The entire room sparkled and shimmered and shone.
    â€œHi, Robby,” said the girl who was handing out the necklaces, and Robby realized it was his friend Rachel.
    â€œRachel! I never saw you in a dress before,” he said. “You look nice.”
    â€œAnd you look nice with just plain hair and no baseball cap.”
    â€œThanks,” replied Robby. He turned back to his mother.
    â€œI’ll be right over there,” she told him, pointing in the direction of the lounge. “Have fun.”
    Robby stepped into the room alone. He glanced back once at Rachel, but she was busy handing glow necklaces to the two girls Robby had noticed earlier. Robby took another step forward. All around him kids were standing in groups, talking and eating. He didn’t know any of them. Where was Daniel?
    Robby heard music begin to play. Some of the kids started to dance. Robby looked toward the doors. His mother wasn’t far away. Maybe he should find her and they should just go home.
    â€œExcuse me, do you want to dance?”
    â€œWhat?” said Robby.
    A girl wearing a long yellow dress and silver sandals had put her hand on Robby’s elbow. “Do