Back from Disneyland now, going to fly soon, will the planes ever end? Probably not. How are you doing?
Mom found a picture of you online from some article about prom. It was the first photo of you I’ve seen since you were thirteen. Or maybe I was thirteen. I had to do a double-take to recognize you, which felt awful. Your eyes are the same. Naturally, I cried for like twenty minutes then had a headache for the rest of the day. Sometimes I think the enormity of it all has died down until something like this happens. In lighter news: you’re beautiful. Your dress is cute. Whatever happened to your front teeth is also super cute (one of mine has a weird lopsided edge now: consider yourself the winner). I can see Mom’s face in you where I couldn’t when we were younger. You’re always nine in my mind’s eye. I don’t think I ever quite understand that if we ever see each other again we won’t just slide back into the fall of 2016 and continue on.
Disneyland was nice. The Star Wars event thing was very good: the lines were practically nothing. Also the fun Star Wars food is, fun. The rest of the day, they’re like 30-90 minutes (evil. Not even chairs most of the time. Collin is too autistic to understand standing up for no reason that long, he needs a bench). Cousin Laura was fairly sick from the drive so she couldn’t do as much as Mom and I, unfortunately, but I am always there with my young stomach (and zofran) to take Collin on the DCA swing ride. My legs were in all kinds of agony at the end of the night, but I had so many snacks it was worth it. That said, I think the new Disney plan should be to just go goddamn insane for the four Star Wars night hours you get instead of ever enduring an hour-long line again.
The American flag at DCA was at half mast for the pope, which was interesting. Then, outside the park, the local McDonald’s flag was at half mast too, which was hilarious. I watched Conclave after getting back for Pope reasons: I liked it, but Mom thought it was painfully boring. Most movies I like are like that. Also, my favorite band (Ghost) released an album, and I’ve been going insane for the past few days. Something fantastic about being trapped in Disneyland as the reason you can’t listen to your favorite band’s new music.
Anyway. I hope you’re enjoying prom season. I remember Mom (Mel) once telling me she’d come to my prom, get on stage, and point me out like “That’s my daughter!” to embarrass me. I hope she didn’t do that, haha. I don’t know what else happens at prom. Kiss a boy underneath party paper strings? I hope the last month of school goes smooth. By next Friday I’ll have done my first test — pray for me. I love you.
With love,
Alice