The prom that evening was held at the Grove Park Inn. The hotel has been a desired destination; and considered highly recommended as a "gem of the South" in Asheville, North Carolina, since 1913. A man had a vision, and Mr. Grove put it into place himself, working men tirelessly for months to finish it after declining offers from architects across the United States.

I was asked to be a chaperone for the evening, which made me feel more comfortable. Isabella looked beautiful and her date handsome. They "danced the night away", so to speak; at times a little closer and a little more "fresh" than I would have liked. However, I did and always have trusted the judgement of my daughter, as her father and I raised her with Christian values that remain intact.

The night went quickly, and by 11:00 PM, it was time to retreat to our small castle. Brady had provided one of the finest homes in a wonderful location for us. It was a German-European styled home that was built in the 1980's. The previous owners had a vision that I would classify as Austrian, but the architecture was more German in my opinion. Plenty roomy though, for the three of us now.

As Bella and I traveled home, she gazed at the formal pictures they had taken. As one can imagine, they turned out to be great. Many times before I have mentioned that she was growing up too fast and was too beautiful for her own good; just like her mother in the "hay-day". Bella would get a good nights sleep; as we had the weekend and only one week of school left. She would be a senior next year, Brady would be fully licensed, and soon I would have another family member out of the nest...something I was ill prepared for.