AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But she only stays seated for about two minutes before she’s up and perusing the contents of my closet. First, my shoes, then my dresses, and when she reaches a row of button-down dress shirts, she pauses to look at me. “You have a big closet. And a lot of clothes.”
“That I do.” A soft laugh jumps from my lips. “I guess you could say shopping is a bit of a hobby of mine.” Or at least, it was. I haven’t had much shopping time since Izzy made her big debut.
And having a massive walk-in closet was a must when I’d saved enough money to buy my own apartment. A girl needs a giant place to fit all of her retail therapy.
“Shopping can be a hobby?” Lex asks, and I nod with big, sure-as-hell eyes.
“Oh yeah, honey. Shopping can definitely be a hobby.”
“Then, shopping is one of my mom’s hobbies, too.”
I grin. “Does she have a closet like mine?”
“Yep.” Her fingers skim across the shelves that hold my accessories—belts, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and purses. “I’m beginning to see the appeal of fashion,” she adds, her voice so prudent for a girl her age that it makes me smile.
Man, I love this kid.
“I take it you didn’t see the appeal before?”
“Nope.” She shakes her head. “I thought it was dumb that Mom would want to spend so much money on something to wear.”
“And now what do you think?”
She considers my question for a long minute, her brow furrowing as she comes to a conclusion. “I think fashion, for a lot of people, is a healthy expression of their personality.”
“I think that’s a brilliant insight, Lex. One I would definitely agree with.”
“Is that what fashion is for you?” she asks, and I walk over to where she stands, her fingers busy exploring my necklaces and bracelets.
When I spot one particular necklace, a colorful Chanel choker that my sister Isabella used to wear every day until she gave it to me a few years ago for my birthday, something inside me makes me pick it up. And the urge to see it on her is too real to deny.
“Fashion is a few things for me,” I tell Lexi as I lift the choker over her head and place it gently around her neck. “It’s important for my job, so I can showcase myself as a professional, successful real estate agent. It allows me to express my personality, like you said.” With my fingers, I secure the clasp. “And it makes me feel confident, too.”
“Clothes can make you feel confident?” she asks, and I gently turn her around by the shoulders so she can see herself in the mirror.
“Clothes, fashion, accessories like this Chanel right here—” I wink “—can definitely make you feel confident. I’ve found that if I’m wearing something that makes me feel good, it can ensure I’m going to have a fantastic day.”
Lexi reaches up to run her fingers across the colorful metal letters C-H-A-N-E-L, and I meet her reflection in the mirror with a smile.
“I think this necklace looks fantastic on you. Do you like it?”
“It’s really pretty, Maria.” She nods, and the shy smile that covers her face makes my heart expand inside my chest.
I quietly observe the way Lexi’s eyes stay glued to the necklace. It’s as if she’s entranced by the way she looks in the mirror now. She doesn’t just like it; she loves it, and the confirmation of that fact is written all over her pretty face.
“You know what? I think you should keep it.”
Lex’s eyes jerk to mine. “But it’s yours…”
“It was mine,” I correct her. “But now, it belongs with you.”
Lexi glances at her reflection in the mirror again, and the smile on her face makes nostalgia flutter inside my belly. Every day, she’s growing closer to becoming a teenage girl, and seeing the changes within her remind me so much of how I got to watch little Winnie Winslow grow up right before my very eyes.
If only Isabella could see what her old childhood friend is up to now. If only she could see that her daughter and Winnie’s daughter are the best of buds.
“You know, a very long time ago, my sister Isabella gave me this as a birthday present,” I add quietly. “And I know she’d be over the moon to see it on you. To know that it’s yours now.”
“My mom told me that she used to be friends with your sister and that she was really funny.”
“Isabella loved your mom, and yes, she was hilarious.” I nod. “My sister was sweet and kind and just…wonderful. Anyone who met her loved her.”
“Is it hard to talk about her?”
“I think the scariest thing for me, when it comes to my sister, is forgetting things about her. I don’t ever want to forget how special she was,” I answer as honestly as I can. “But all thanks to you, for giving me the opportunity to talk about her right now, I’m remembering all of my favorite things about her, and that is making my heart smile.”
