I kept my old prom dress in the attic for fifty-five years because of a promise I made to the boy I loved before he left for Vietnam.

Then, at seventy-three, I opened my front door and found Daniel standing there.

Three weeks later, we finally married.

But on our wedding night, he told me something that made me question the sister I had trusted my entire life.

PART 1

The oldest thing in my house was an ivory prom dress sealed inside a garment bag in the attic.

Every spring, I aired it out, smoothed the fabric, and remembered 1969.

I had worn it to senior prom with Daniel, the boy I had loved since we were fifteen.

Two weeks after graduation, he was drafted to Vietnam.

The night before he left, we drove to a hill overlooking our town and stayed there until sunrise.

Daniel touched the sleeve of my dress and smiled.