At 9:47 p.m., before the chicken dance could ruin the mood, Dominic appeared beside her.

Melody blinked. “You watched me?”

When the song ended, they didn’t let go right away.

And under the spinning lights of prom night, surrounded by the noise and glitter of high school’s final act, Melody Marks realized that the best moments aren’t the ones you rehearse—they’re the ones that surprise you when you least expect them.

Melody laughed, real and unguarded. “Your abuela sounds wise.”