Dancing With Love and Pride in Honor of My Two-Mom Family

By Mikayla Denault

Around May this year, my mom Meg, started scheming up a plan to surprise Missy, my other mom, with an anniversary party to celebrate their love and Pride month in June. Both of us decided we wanted to transform the backyard in a similar way to their wedding with a beautiful dance floor. The dance floor had rainbow hearts elongated across its face. For the nighttime festivities, Meg and I decided to place tiki torches around the wooden dance floor almost as if it represented the love ablaze in my parents’ hearts. As the special day was approaching, we invited all our family and friends in hopes of having the perfect surprise for Missy.

It was then two days before the big day. I was so elated to have actually kept the secret for so long (I’m an open book and don’t lie), and that everyone we invited came. Our family from New York and New Jersey came down to help, party, and keep Missy distracted with the big excuse we made up. We told my mom that Meg was making a dance floor for an event in our town and setting it up in the backyard to see how it looked. The excuse for all the family down was resolved without any thinking on our part because it was a holiday weekend. Finally, the day had come, and I had a big job to fulfill.

On the day of the party, I distracted Missy by getting her to take me to my usual swim practice that lasts from 8:15-11. I then got to convince her to let my best friend hang out with me for the day (she was coming to the party that night). As Isabel, my best friend, was helping me stall until about 2-4, we took Missy to Panera, Barnes n’ Noble, and Cold Stone Creamery. When she began to get annoyed with me constantly asking to do other things, my BFF and I had a secret meeting on what to do. Our plan was: do every action as slow as possible. Fortunately, our plan worked and we arrived around 2:30 PM. While she walked into the kitchen, we then told her the big surprise, and it couldn’t have been a better reaction. She had no clue and was persuaded with all of our excuses!

My moms, Meg and Missy being silly

Finally, 5 PM rolled around which meant it was time for the festivities to begin! At this time, our guests arrived, appetizers were served, and we played some sports before DJ Mikayla began to fire up some sick tunes. After dinner was over, everyone was having the best time on the dance floor learning how to salsa by our Latina friends, simultaneously doing line dances, and spending time with the people they love the most. Missy and Meg’s smiles spread from ear to ear. The day felt exactly like their wedding especially when we had the opportunity to buy a replica of the wedding cake and replicate the wedding pictures.

However, the best moment of the night was when I surprised both of them with a slow dance. The song was by our favorite artist, and they always begin to dance to it if it was playing in the house. It is called “How Would You Feel (Paean)” by Ed Sheeran. While it played, I brought Meg and Missy down from the porch to the dance floor to have the spotlight on them as they danced together. All of their family, friends, and I encircled them to truly make it a perfect symbol of their life together and the people they affected throughout the years. This day was truly the best day of my life because I got to celebrate my parents and the LGBT community with my family, friends, and love lingering in the air.