sixteen

"Abigail, it's so lovely to see you!" Liz Schwinn wrapped me in a suffocating hug. It was Saturday evening, and I was at Danny's house for family dinner. Normally, we would do it the last Saturday of the month, but that fell on Trick-or-Treat (and also the night of the party) this year. "Honey, we haven't seen you in weeks!" She exclaimed, and I saw the worry patterned across her face as she pulled back from me.

Danny's mom had to be one of my favorite people on the planet. She'd been a Broadway actress early on in her teens and twenties, until she moved out west to Hollywood with an old boyfriend, who she dumped as soon as she saw Danny's dad while on vacation one weekend. She knew what she wanted, and she didn't let anyone stop her.

She ran her hands down my arms and grabbed my hands in hers, squeezing lightly as she smiled warmly at me, silently asking if I was alright. I'd always been so jealous of Danny, because he had Liz and Aly both in one household. His mom, despite their p