fake nails picked off to the sensitive cuticle, and any mascara that had clung to her lashes a smear of black on her cheeks, Maggie stalked to the dressing room to confront her mom. Maggie’s state of disarray was reflected in Emily’s pursed lips, her pageant coach’s hushed whispers, and Beatrice Pritchard’s cavernous stare. But Maggie stood firm.
Her mother hurried toward her, squeezing Maggie’s upper arm. “You’re a mess.” She dug in her purse. “Where’s some makeup removing pads...?”
Maggie grabbed her mom’s ha nd. “You know, Mom, I’m tired of holding back. Tired of coordinating dresses and shoes. Tired of smiling, when inside I’m a wreck. Pageants used to make me happy, but now, they don’t.”
Her mom smiled and pulled Maggie’s arm to align her backbone toward the cottage cheese ceiling. “Oh, dear, here comes your pageant coach…”
“Mom! ” Maggie jerked away. “Are you listening? I have to make myself happy and find another way.”
After her mom waved off the coach, Maggie gave her a little shake. “People’s lives aren’t perfect. Everyone has their fears, and we’re good enough just as we are. Right now, I’m not even sure I want to compete in the dance competition tomorrow.”
Her mom’s lips pinched into a straight line. “Honey, I’ve supported you all this time because I thought pageants made you happy.”
Maggie rolled her brows and eased backward, her heels dragging across the floor. “What?”
“I love you and wanted to spend time with you. That’s why I’ve always encouraged pageantry. You want to go another direction, I’ll be there to support you.”
Background music played Kiss of Fire .
Maggie flashed back to Garrett—his sweating brow, his straining arms, his blistered feet—as he’d learned the tango. Again, he’d sacrifice d for her, but because he really loved her? “But I thought you and Grandma wanted me to enter because of tradition.”
Her mom draped an arm over Maggie’s shoulder. “Well, sure. After your father passed, we all needed the distraction.”
What am I hearing? “Distraction...” Had Emily and the beer acted as a diversion to keep Garrett from heavy thoughts of her leaving town after the pageant? And of seeing her in Dane’s arms?
“Honey, what’s wrong? There’s more going on here than you’re telling me.”
Maggie buried her face in her hands and leaned into her mom’s shoulder. “Everything. I don’t want to go back to college in the spring. In fact, I’m not sure I want to be a vet. I can run my doggy rescue without a veterinary license right here in town, if that career means staying with the man I love.”
“Garrett?”
Maggie’s eyes widened and she pressed back to hold her mother’s grey gaze. “Yes, but how did you guess?”
“A mother knows when her daughter is in love.”
“But love is scary.” Her heart raced and her chin quivered. “We don’t know where we’re going or where we will end up.”
“Neither did your father and I. But because we loved each other, we decided to figure out life together.”
A memory of her parents laughing and sharing a tender moment rose in her mind and she smiled, even though the funeral overlapped the happy memory. “Do you regret marrying him?”
“Heavens no. I regret him dying. But how could I regret being with him? He was a great man. My hero.” Her mom gave her a gentle squeeze. “And together, we made you.”
Maggie’s heart fluttered, then fell like a wet feather. “Dane kissed me and Garrett saw. When I went to find him and explain, I found him with Emily suctioned onto his leg, like a vernal pool leech onto a cows hoof.”
Her mom winced and glanced over at Emily, whose dress plunged down her spine all the way to the small of her back, and her eyes widened. “Oh, dear. Then what happened?”
Maggie explained the scene and how she’d turned her back on her best friend. “Right now, I’m frustrated at myself for not telling
Her mother hurried toward her, squeezing Maggie’s upper arm. “You’re a mess.” She dug in her purse. “Where’s some makeup removing pads...?”
Maggie grabbed her mom’s ha nd. “You know, Mom, I’m tired of holding back. Tired of coordinating dresses and shoes. Tired of smiling, when inside I’m a wreck. Pageants used to make me happy, but now, they don’t.”
Her mom smiled and pulled Maggie’s arm to align her backbone toward the cottage cheese ceiling. “Oh, dear, here comes your pageant coach…”
“Mom! ” Maggie jerked away. “Are you listening? I have to make myself happy and find another way.”
After her mom waved off the coach, Maggie gave her a little shake. “People’s lives aren’t perfect. Everyone has their fears, and we’re good enough just as we are. Right now, I’m not even sure I want to compete in the dance competition tomorrow.”
Her mom’s lips pinched into a straight line. “Honey, I’ve supported you all this time because I thought pageants made you happy.”
Maggie rolled her brows and eased backward, her heels dragging across the floor. “What?”
“I love you and wanted to spend time with you. That’s why I’ve always encouraged pageantry. You want to go another direction, I’ll be there to support you.”
Background music played Kiss of Fire .
Maggie flashed back to Garrett—his sweating brow, his straining arms, his blistered feet—as he’d learned the tango. Again, he’d sacrifice d for her, but because he really loved her? “But I thought you and Grandma wanted me to enter because of tradition.”
Her mom draped an arm over Maggie’s shoulder. “Well, sure. After your father passed, we all needed the distraction.”
What am I hearing? “Distraction...” Had Emily and the beer acted as a diversion to keep Garrett from heavy thoughts of her leaving town after the pageant? And of seeing her in Dane’s arms?
“Honey, what’s wrong? There’s more going on here than you’re telling me.”
Maggie buried her face in her hands and leaned into her mom’s shoulder. “Everything. I don’t want to go back to college in the spring. In fact, I’m not sure I want to be a vet. I can run my doggy rescue without a veterinary license right here in town, if that career means staying with the man I love.”
“Garrett?”
Maggie’s eyes widened and she pressed back to hold her mother’s grey gaze. “Yes, but how did you guess?”
“A mother knows when her daughter is in love.”
“But love is scary.” Her heart raced and her chin quivered. “We don’t know where we’re going or where we will end up.”
“Neither did your father and I. But because we loved each other, we decided to figure out life together.”
A memory of her parents laughing and sharing a tender moment rose in her mind and she smiled, even though the funeral overlapped the happy memory. “Do you regret marrying him?”
“Heavens no. I regret him dying. But how could I regret being with him? He was a great man. My hero.” Her mom gave her a gentle squeeze. “And together, we made you.”
Maggie’s heart fluttered, then fell like a wet feather. “Dane kissed me and Garrett saw. When I went to find him and explain, I found him with Emily suctioned onto his leg, like a vernal pool leech onto a cows hoof.”
Her mom winced and glanced over at Emily, whose dress plunged down her spine all the way to the small of her back, and her eyes widened. “Oh, dear. Then what happened?”
Maggie explained the scene and how she’d turned her back on her best friend. “Right now, I’m frustrated at myself for not telling
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