supposed to meet a friend for lunch.”
“But you’ll make an appointment for her?”
“Sure.” She kisses Fern then rushes out the door. I hurry back down to the basement and reach the final stair as Mollie is emerging from the bathroom. “Feel better?” I ask hopefully.
She just shrugs.
“Put on something fun,” I tell her. “Like a sundress or something.”
“Yeah, right.” She gives me a dark scowl. “Why not?”
She points to her bathrobe as if that’s a clue.
“Huh?”
“I can’t
fit
into any of my old clothes, Erin.” “But you look great, Mollie.” She rolls her eyes.
“Fine,” I tell her. “Just put on a clean set of warm-ups and do something with your hair, okay?”
While Mollie’s doing this, I change Fern’s diaper then dress her in an adorable pink-and-white striped romper with a matching hat. “Hey, maybe we should do a
Runway
show about children’s clothes,” I call out to Mollie. She grumbles a response and I realize my work is going to be cut out for me today. That’s when I decide to think like my sister. Better yet, I decide to call her.
“I need your help,” I say quietly, even though Mollie’s in the bathroom.
“What’s up?”
I quickly explain about Mollie’s blues. “I know it won’t fix everything, but I was thinking if she had a little makeover, she might—”
“Great idea,” Paige says cheerfully. And just like that she’s concocting a plan, telling me to bring Mollie to the condo and explaining what we’ll do after that. “You know —this would make a good show.”
“Well, please, don’t invite the camera crew,” I tell her. “I don’t think Mollie could handle that today.”
“Mollie can’t handle what?” Mollie asks as she emerges from the bathroom looking only slightly better than when she went in.
“A surprise,” I say as I hand Fern to her. “I’ll get the car seat and stroller.”
“Where are we going?” she asks while she tucks some things into the diaper bag.
“You’ll see.”
We’re almost out of the house when she glances in the mirror by the front door. “Oh, Erin, I can’t go out looking like this.”
“Don’t worry,” I assure her. “No one’s going to see you like that.” “Huh?”
“Come on,” I urge, “we have a schedule to keep.”
Mollie relaxes a little when she sees we’re only going to the condo. As we go up the stairs, I explain my little makeover plan. “Paige is going to help.”
Mollie chuckles. “Well, that’s a relief. I know you’ve come a long way in fashion, Erin, but I’m not sure I’d trust you with a makeover just yet.”
“Yeah, fine.” I make a face at her. “I’ll just be the babysitter.”
“Right this way,” Paige says as soon as we’re in the condo, waving Mollie over to where she’s set up what looks like a hair and makeup station in the dining room.
“This is so sweet of — “ Mollie’s voice cracks in a sob.
“Now don’t start crying,” Paige warns her. “Your eyes are already puffy enough. Erin, go get a cucumber, okay?”
Before long, with cucumber slices secured by a sleeping mask over Mollie’s eyes, Paige goes to work. “I tried to get you in to a couple of salons,” Paige says as she spreads green gunk over Mollie’s face. “But Saturday is a busy day. So I figured, why not just do it myself?”
“Don’t worry,” I assure Mollie. “You know you’re in good hands. Paige is probably better than most of the pros anyway.”
I take Fern into the living room, leaving Paige to work her magic. I know I’m not always appreciative of my sister’s skills in the world of fashion and beauty, but I am today. And I know it can’t substitute for an appointment with a medical professional, but I don’t think it can hurt either.
After a little more than an hour, Mollie struts into the living room like a model. Okay, a short model. “What d’ya think?”
“Wow,” I say quietly as I continue attempting to rock Fern to sleep.
“But you’ll make an appointment for her?”
“Sure.” She kisses Fern then rushes out the door. I hurry back down to the basement and reach the final stair as Mollie is emerging from the bathroom. “Feel better?” I ask hopefully.
She just shrugs.
“Put on something fun,” I tell her. “Like a sundress or something.”
“Yeah, right.” She gives me a dark scowl. “Why not?”
She points to her bathrobe as if that’s a clue.
“Huh?”
“I can’t
fit
into any of my old clothes, Erin.” “But you look great, Mollie.” She rolls her eyes.
“Fine,” I tell her. “Just put on a clean set of warm-ups and do something with your hair, okay?”
While Mollie’s doing this, I change Fern’s diaper then dress her in an adorable pink-and-white striped romper with a matching hat. “Hey, maybe we should do a
Runway
show about children’s clothes,” I call out to Mollie. She grumbles a response and I realize my work is going to be cut out for me today. That’s when I decide to think like my sister. Better yet, I decide to call her.
“I need your help,” I say quietly, even though Mollie’s in the bathroom.
“What’s up?”
I quickly explain about Mollie’s blues. “I know it won’t fix everything, but I was thinking if she had a little makeover, she might—”
“Great idea,” Paige says cheerfully. And just like that she’s concocting a plan, telling me to bring Mollie to the condo and explaining what we’ll do after that. “You know —this would make a good show.”
“Well, please, don’t invite the camera crew,” I tell her. “I don’t think Mollie could handle that today.”
“Mollie can’t handle what?” Mollie asks as she emerges from the bathroom looking only slightly better than when she went in.
“A surprise,” I say as I hand Fern to her. “I’ll get the car seat and stroller.”
“Where are we going?” she asks while she tucks some things into the diaper bag.
“You’ll see.”
We’re almost out of the house when she glances in the mirror by the front door. “Oh, Erin, I can’t go out looking like this.”
“Don’t worry,” I assure her. “No one’s going to see you like that.” “Huh?”
“Come on,” I urge, “we have a schedule to keep.”
Mollie relaxes a little when she sees we’re only going to the condo. As we go up the stairs, I explain my little makeover plan. “Paige is going to help.”
Mollie chuckles. “Well, that’s a relief. I know you’ve come a long way in fashion, Erin, but I’m not sure I’d trust you with a makeover just yet.”
“Yeah, fine.” I make a face at her. “I’ll just be the babysitter.”
“Right this way,” Paige says as soon as we’re in the condo, waving Mollie over to where she’s set up what looks like a hair and makeup station in the dining room.
“This is so sweet of — “ Mollie’s voice cracks in a sob.
“Now don’t start crying,” Paige warns her. “Your eyes are already puffy enough. Erin, go get a cucumber, okay?”
Before long, with cucumber slices secured by a sleeping mask over Mollie’s eyes, Paige goes to work. “I tried to get you in to a couple of salons,” Paige says as she spreads green gunk over Mollie’s face. “But Saturday is a busy day. So I figured, why not just do it myself?”
“Don’t worry,” I assure Mollie. “You know you’re in good hands. Paige is probably better than most of the pros anyway.”
I take Fern into the living room, leaving Paige to work her magic. I know I’m not always appreciative of my sister’s skills in the world of fashion and beauty, but I am today. And I know it can’t substitute for an appointment with a medical professional, but I don’t think it can hurt either.
After a little more than an hour, Mollie struts into the living room like a model. Okay, a short model. “What d’ya think?”
“Wow,” I say quietly as I continue attempting to rock Fern to sleep.