table.
Elise stood and opened the garment bag. “Tell me what you think of this, Tricia. Do you think Macy will like it?” Elise pulled out a beautiful turquois blue gown. It had little cap sleeves and delicate sparkly detailing along the bodice. The classic empire waist extended in a long skirt made from soft flowing material.
Tears filled Tricia’s eyes, and she suddenly couldn’t speak around the emotion clogging her throat. Elise reached over and gently held the other woman’s hand in quiet comfort.
“It’s beautiful.” Tricia finally managed. “It’s perfect. Exactly what I imagined.” Taking a few more cleansing breaths, she nodded more confidently. “She’ll love it. But I’m sure you spent way too much money.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Elise said firmly. “It was my pleasure.”
Tricia got a little choked up. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she whispered brokenly.
“You don’t have to.” Elise replied. “I enjoyed doing it.”
Worry suddenly creased Tricia’s brow. “I know she’ll love it, but I’m still worried that she’ll refuse to go without a date. I know how much she wants to, but I also know my daughter can be extremely stubborn at times. She might find it too embarrassing to go to the dance alone.”
“Don’t worry,” Elise assured. “I already have that covered. I’ve arranged for my cousin to escort her. They go to the same high school, so it will work out well. I helped him get a good grade in Trigonometry, so he owes me a favor.”
“But is he a nice boy? Will she even like him? Macy is shy, and I hate to think of her feeling pressured to go out with a boy she doesn’t like; or worse, one who doesn’t behave well.”
“He is very nice. He’s a Christian and goes to the same church I do. I think they will like each other a lot. I wouldn’t have asked him to go with her if I didn’t think it would be good for both of them.”
Tricia nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Elise. I will find a way to pay you back someday.”
“The only payment I’ll accept is you finishing your time here, getting back to your family, and living your life for God.”
Tricia looked Elise in the eye. “With God’s help, that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
Tricia walked back to the guard to be escorted back to her cell.
“I’ll take pictures for you, Tricia, “Elise called. “I’ll try to stop by next week to show you.”
Tricia looked back, her eyes once again filling with tears.
“Thanks, Elise. I think you must be an angel.”
As the door closed behind Tricia, Elise heard Ryan. “You know, she’s not that far off, Cupid.”
Ryan had been so quiet during the exchange, she had almost forgotten he was there. She packed the dress back in the garment bag, and moved to leave the room. She didn’t dare look Ryan in the eye to try to read his response to her latest endeavor. She had to fulfill the next phase of this mission, and she couldn’t waste time being distracted.
As they left the room, Elise finally replied. “No, I think for this task I deserve a different title.”
Since they were preoccupied getting back through security, Ryan lost the chance to question her about what she meant.
Forty minutes later, they stood at the front door of a two story house that looked as if it had seen better days. An elderly woman answered in response to the doorbell.
“Hi, I’m—”
“Elise Hutchins,” the woman finished, her eyes sparkling. “Patricia told me you would be coming. Thank you so much for what you’re doing for my daughter and granddaughter. Please, come in. I haven’t told Macy anything. The poor girl’s been moping around all day.”
As Elise and Ryan came in, the lady bustled partway up the stairs, not giving them a chance to get a word in. “Macy, come down here! You have guests!”
A pretty teenaged brunette appeared at the top of the stairs. Her brow wrinkled in confusion at the sight of the two unfamiliar people.
“Hi, Macy,”
Elise stood and opened the garment bag. “Tell me what you think of this, Tricia. Do you think Macy will like it?” Elise pulled out a beautiful turquois blue gown. It had little cap sleeves and delicate sparkly detailing along the bodice. The classic empire waist extended in a long skirt made from soft flowing material.
Tears filled Tricia’s eyes, and she suddenly couldn’t speak around the emotion clogging her throat. Elise reached over and gently held the other woman’s hand in quiet comfort.
“It’s beautiful.” Tricia finally managed. “It’s perfect. Exactly what I imagined.” Taking a few more cleansing breaths, she nodded more confidently. “She’ll love it. But I’m sure you spent way too much money.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Elise said firmly. “It was my pleasure.”
Tricia got a little choked up. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she whispered brokenly.
“You don’t have to.” Elise replied. “I enjoyed doing it.”
Worry suddenly creased Tricia’s brow. “I know she’ll love it, but I’m still worried that she’ll refuse to go without a date. I know how much she wants to, but I also know my daughter can be extremely stubborn at times. She might find it too embarrassing to go to the dance alone.”
“Don’t worry,” Elise assured. “I already have that covered. I’ve arranged for my cousin to escort her. They go to the same high school, so it will work out well. I helped him get a good grade in Trigonometry, so he owes me a favor.”
“But is he a nice boy? Will she even like him? Macy is shy, and I hate to think of her feeling pressured to go out with a boy she doesn’t like; or worse, one who doesn’t behave well.”
“He is very nice. He’s a Christian and goes to the same church I do. I think they will like each other a lot. I wouldn’t have asked him to go with her if I didn’t think it would be good for both of them.”
Tricia nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Elise. I will find a way to pay you back someday.”
“The only payment I’ll accept is you finishing your time here, getting back to your family, and living your life for God.”
Tricia looked Elise in the eye. “With God’s help, that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
Tricia walked back to the guard to be escorted back to her cell.
“I’ll take pictures for you, Tricia, “Elise called. “I’ll try to stop by next week to show you.”
Tricia looked back, her eyes once again filling with tears.
“Thanks, Elise. I think you must be an angel.”
As the door closed behind Tricia, Elise heard Ryan. “You know, she’s not that far off, Cupid.”
Ryan had been so quiet during the exchange, she had almost forgotten he was there. She packed the dress back in the garment bag, and moved to leave the room. She didn’t dare look Ryan in the eye to try to read his response to her latest endeavor. She had to fulfill the next phase of this mission, and she couldn’t waste time being distracted.
As they left the room, Elise finally replied. “No, I think for this task I deserve a different title.”
Since they were preoccupied getting back through security, Ryan lost the chance to question her about what she meant.
Forty minutes later, they stood at the front door of a two story house that looked as if it had seen better days. An elderly woman answered in response to the doorbell.
“Hi, I’m—”
“Elise Hutchins,” the woman finished, her eyes sparkling. “Patricia told me you would be coming. Thank you so much for what you’re doing for my daughter and granddaughter. Please, come in. I haven’t told Macy anything. The poor girl’s been moping around all day.”
As Elise and Ryan came in, the lady bustled partway up the stairs, not giving them a chance to get a word in. “Macy, come down here! You have guests!”
A pretty teenaged brunette appeared at the top of the stairs. Her brow wrinkled in confusion at the sight of the two unfamiliar people.
“Hi, Macy,”
Similar Books
