My Little Bro Jared ready for his senior Prom 2008 and Me

Some photos hold still the way an old house does—quietly, without asking, until you look back and hear everything again.

This one is from 2008: my little brother, Jared, ready for his senior prom, and me beside him. He’s dressed like the night has somewhere important to go, boutonniere pinned in place, posture straight, smile easy. I’m there in my own version of “formal,” leaning into the moment with that half-serious confidence you only get when you’re young and standing next to someone you’ve known forever.

I can almost feel the air around it: the last-minute checks, the camera coming out, the small pause before the door opens and the evening begins. Prom is supposed to be about the date, the dance, the story you tell later. But what I remember most is this—siblings sharing a frame, the ordinary background of home, and the strange brightness of watching someone you love step into the next part of their life.

Time has a way of changing the colors, softening the edges, and making the simple things feel bigger. A prom suit. A porch. A brother growing up. A snapshot that keeps it all from drifting too far away.