The Kids are All Right: A Memoir by Diana and Liz Welch with Dan and Amanda Welch

Lance was the prom king to Liz’s prom queen Junior year at Fox Lane High School. This is his story:

“Liz and I went to Fox Lane together and were never really that close but Liz’s best friend Rita was a good friend of mine and she was also dating my best friend. Just as Liz and her siblings explain that they have different memories of past events I also remember the evening of the prom night slightly differently.”

“Leading up to the prom I was told (I think by Rita) that Liz wanted to go with me and that I should ask her to go to the prom. I clearly remember walking past Liz in K wing and we stopped to talk and there was this awkward moment where I felt she was waiting for me to ask her. The truth (in retrospect after reading the book) was that Liz’s life had become an awkward moment so she had learned to deal with tough situations so this was nothing. Liz always seemed to be more mature than the rest of us and given my boyish reluctance to pop the question Liz asked if I was going to the prom helping break the ice at which point we agreed to go together. I remember the transaction being all business and I could sense that the only reason Liz wanted to go with me was because I fit some profile that was suitable to her, no real feelings were involved. I knew Liz’s mother was sick, but when I asked questions I never really got any answers so I left it alone. I didn’t go to Liz’s house to pick her up for the prom as that felt off limits to me. When they announced that we were prom king and queen it was another awkward moment – as Liz and I were more business partners in this venture and never expected to be outed in such grand fashion. However it is a great memory and my friends and especially my wife still to this day like to tease me of my king status. I never knew how I intersected such an interesting and amazing story the Welch family was weaving at the time, I am glad to be part of it.”