Like a dream...

The other day, my second son safely graduated from high school.

The graduation ceremony was more refreshing than I had imagined. Since I haven't been able to control my emotions well lately, I was nervous that I might break down in tears, but there was no such sentimental atmosphere at all.

It felt like everyone was excited about their new journey.

I can't explain it well, but amidst a strange sense of exhilaration, as if I were inside a balloon, I felt heartfelt congratulations for the graduates and warm feelings for my second son for doing his best. I was able to spend the time very calmly and lively.
Above all.

My husband, who usually only looks at the clock, had a natural smile on his face that day, and he even took the initiative to participate in the family photo, which he usually gets grumpy about. It was a very good feeling.

The day after the graduation ceremony was a party called a banquet.

A dance party for graduates only, called a prom, is standard here. My second son's school has a large-scale party called a banquet, where the whole family is mobilized.

Our family has been with this school since grade 9, so for four years. But families who have been attending since kindergarten have been there for 13 years. Many mothers have been dreaming of the day they would attend this banquet ever since their children enrolled.

Preparation takes about a year. The venue is a five-star hotel downtown.
It's similar to a large-scale wedding in Japan.

My husband retired early. When confirming attendance,

Count me out.

He said, and had no intention of participating from the start. But I didn't think it was right for him to attend a celebration reluctantly, and above all, my second son had expressed that it was enough for his father to come to the graduation ceremony, so my husband's wishes were respected.

In the end, it was decided that I would represent the family, and his girlfriend, Chicchi, would accompany my second son.

I had been sighing about this banquet for the past few months. It's been decades since I came to Canada. I have attended friends' weddings, but none of them were this formal.

Thinking about the parents at my second son's school makes my stomach ache. You might laugh at me for talking about social classes in this day and age, but they are all people who live in a different world. What kind of dress on earth will they be wearing?

In a panic, I immediately started searching on Facebook Marketplace and found and bought a dress that was just right, with a theme of being unobtrusive, not too revealing, and neither good nor bad. The price was 15 dollars.

It's not flashy, but I wonder if people will ask what's wrong?
I hope not.

My second son also said, "Isn't it fine?" and so...

On the day, the mother of my second son's best friend, Jay (pseudonym), came to pick me and my second son up in a large limousine, which was a gift from a friend of hers who runs a limousine service.

My husband also looked happy as he took photos and saw us off.

After that, we picked up a friend's family and then headed to his girlfriend Chicchi's house.

At the very last minute, my second son introduced his best friend Jay to his girlfriend's friend. It seems those two ended up dating. Wow.

So, at my second son's girlfriend Chicchi's house, Jay's girlfriend S-chan was already there waiting happily with Chicchi.

After taking a few commemorative photos of the four of them, Chicchi and S-chan joined us in the limousine. With Chicchi and S-chan's mothers watching over us with smiles, the limousine departed and arrived at the venue on time.

First was the open welcome. We chatted on the hotel rooftop. I am extremely bad at this kind of thing. I don't know where I should be. I couldn't sit down, I couldn't look at anything...

Dressed-up people were standing around talking in a space that was neither narrow nor wide. Hotel staff were walking around with trays of drinks and snacks,

Would you like some?

they asked.

My second son had joined up with his friends and completely forgotten about me, and his girlfriend Chicchi also seemed to have many friends at the venue and was very busy.

I messaged the only mother friend I knew,

"Where are you now?"

and she replied,

"So sorry, I'm still at home. My son isn't ready yet."

So, I went to the restroom a few times, swapped out my drink, and tried talking to some strangers. Man, I'll say it again, I'm really not good at this kind of thing.

As I was secretly feeling restless, a staff member said,

The venue is ready. Everyone, please proceed to the hall on the fourth floor.

What a relief.

Since the party was a course meal, I went to the seat with my name on it. I had requested it, so the table was full of families of my second son's close friends. I felt a bit relieved.

As the meal progressed, starting with the salad, there were greetings from the principal, the PTA representative, and a slideshow. The event proceeded smoothly.

I actually found that I could talk better in this situation where I couldn't move around. The two beautiful girls sitting next to me were older sisters of graduates. We talked about my son, school, and the universities they attend. Everything was very interesting and fun.

When I interact with the families surrounding the children like this, I feel like I get to see a different side of them, and I feel closer to them than ever before. They must all be wonderful families.

When the dessert came out and it felt like we were nearing the end, the head teacher who was acting as the MC returned to the stage.

After speaking for a bit, they said, "Now for the main event," and...

A spotlight hit the square open space in the middle, and just as I was wondering what was about to start...

It's the first dance.

?

I understand a first dance at a wedding. That's the dance the bride and groom perform as a married couple for the first time. But this isn't a wedding. As I stood there not quite understanding the situation, Chicchi, who was next to me, nudged me with her elbow.

Meimei, we have to go!

??

Is a first dance something a son and mother do? I looked around and saw pairs of people being pulled toward the center by their sons or mothers. I see.

Where is my son now?
As I watched the mothers and their sons dancing as if it were someone else's business, I thought that at a time like this, my second son must be busy talking with his friends.

Mom, let's go.

With that, my second son appeared from somewhere. The stage he pulled me onto was bustling with familiar mothers and children. Everyone's smiles were truly shining in the soft spotlight, and for some reason, my heart felt full.

I am 165 centimeters tall, and I look up at my second son while wearing 10-centimeter heels.
It should be the same as always, but he suddenly seems so much more grown-up.
My chest suddenly tightens.

We danced to 'Stand By Me,' moving in a way that you couldn't quite call dancing or swaying, while holding both hands.

When did his hands, which were once as small and cute as maple leaves, become so big?

As I was thinking that, my second son gave me a tight hug. We just swayed while holding each other.

Thank you.

That feeling came through. A dance with my second son that lasted only a few dozen seconds.
My heart warmed as I realized that such a moment had been waiting for us.

At the end of the song, we held hands with the other hockey moms and children, forming a large circle and dancing together.

All the moms were truly beautiful. It's a bit embarrassing to say, but they looked like little girls. Their smiles were radiant. I was moved to tears for no reason.

I can't explain it well.
I felt it was so wonderful that each of us, with our own thoughts in our hearts, could share such a special time and space, and I was simply wrapped in a light of happiness, intoxicated by an indescribable sense of euphoria.

After that, I left the young people who were heading to an after-party at the venue and went home in an Uber with Jay's family.

I look back on the first dance I had with my second son, thinking that this must be what they call a 'dream-like' time.

The dress I had worried about so needlessly was just as I had hoped—neither good nor bad, and it didn't bother me at all. Above all, the children who were the stars of the show all looked so happy and full of hope, and that alone made everything seem perfectly fine.

I am sure I will continue to remember that time.

And for the children setting off into a new world, I hope they will occasionally look back on that time with nostalgia and find strength in it.

Thinking such things, I fell asleep, exhausted by the waves of excitement and heat from the two consecutive days.