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Hazel’s fingers trembled so badly she could barely untie the tiny satin ribbon hidden beneath the largest rose stitched onto the side of her gown.
The entire gym fell silent.
Even the music had stopped.
Students who had been laughing moments before now leaned forward, curious about what Eli had hidden inside the dress.
Hazel carefully opened the folded piece of fabric tucked beneath the flower.
Something metallic slipped into her hand.
She gasped.
“No…” she whispered.
Tears instantly filled her eyes.
It was a small silver pendant shaped like a guitar pick.
The room didn’t understand why she had screamed.
To everyone else, it looked like an ordinary necklace.
To Hazel, it was impossible.
Her knees almost gave way.
“Mom…”
I rushed toward her.
She held the pendant with shaking hands.
“It’s Mason’s.”
A wave of whispers spread across the room.
Only a handful of people knew about the necklace.
Mason had worn it every single day from the time he turned fifteen.
He never took it off.
After the accident, the police returned only a few of his personal belongings.
The necklace had never been found.
Hazel had searched for it countless times among his things.
She had cried herself to sleep believing it had been lost forever.
She looked at Eli.
“How?”
He swallowed hard.
“My dad helped tow the wreck.”
The gym became even quieter.
“He found it underneath the driver’s seat after the investigation was over.”
“He kept it because no one knew who it belonged to.”
“I recognized it the day he showed it to me.”
Hazel covered her mouth.
“I asked him if I could have it.”
“He said yes.”
“But I didn’t want to just hand it to you.”
“I wanted you to find it when you finally smiled again.”
Hazel burst into tears.
Not the quiet tears she had cried for months.
These were different.
Years of grief poured out all at once.
She hugged Eli so tightly neither of them could speak.
Many students wiped away tears.
Even teachers standing near the walls looked emotional.
After several moments, Eli gently stepped back.
“I’m not finished.”
The DJ handed him the microphone again.
“I know everyone thinks tonight is about prom.”
He looked at Hazel.
“But tonight isn’t about dresses.”
“It’s about keeping promises.”
Hazel looked confused.
Eli smiled softly.
“When Mason was alive…”
“He talked to me.”
“He worried about you.”
“He said if anything ever happened to him…”
His voice cracked.
“…he wanted someone to remind you that you deserved to keep living.”
I felt tears streaming down my own face.
Eli reached into his jacket pocket.
He pulled out a folded letter.
“I wasn’t supposed to read it.”
“He gave it to me almost a year before the accident.”
“He laughed and said, ‘If I ever do something stupid and disappear, make sure Hazelnut gets this when she’s ready.'”
Hazel stared at the envelope.
Written across the front in familiar handwriting were the words:
For My Little Hazelnut.
Her legs gave out.
Several classmates quickly brought over a chair.
She carefully unfolded the letter.
The room remained completely silent.
Her brother’s handwriting filled the page.
“Hey, Hazelnut.”
“If you’re reading this, then life didn’t go the way either of us planned.”
“First, I’m really sorry.”
“Second, stop blaming yourself for things you can’t control.”
Hazel began sobbing.
“I know you.”
“You’re probably hiding in your room.”
“You’re probably pretending everyone else is okay without me.”
“You’re wrong.”
“People who love each other never really disappear.”