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Angie studied her shoes and blinked a few times.
Crystal could only hope she’d reached her.
The receptionist rounded the desk and approached them.
Crystal and Angie sprang to their feet.
The woman smiled. “I have good news. Murphy is responding to the shot and is well on his way to recovery.”
“Oh, thank God,” Crystal said.
“We need to keep an eye on him for a while, but we expect he’ll be fine.”
“Thank you for saving Murphy.” Angie hugged Crystal.
Tears stung her eyes as she hugged her back. “You have it wrong. He saved me.”
When she let go, Angie stepped back and rubbed her arms again. Poor kid must feel awkward, unused to showing affection.
They both plopped down in the chairs, heaving a sigh.
“Text your parents to let them know Murphy’s going to be okay, and I’ll tell Zach.” She shot a quick message off to him. He might not see it since he was driving, but Mary or Paul would probably tell him.
Angie typed on her phone and settled back in the chair. She glanced at Crystal. “You can’t think you don’t have talent. Look at how popular your blog is now, and your fashion line is amazing.”
“You follow me?” That was a surprise. The girl didn’t dress like someone who kept up with the latest trends. More like she combined different ones together, and it didn’t work.
“Yeah,” she said in a quiet voice as if she was embarrassed. “I mean, I can’t wear those kinds of clothes, but I like looking at them.”
“Why can’t you wear them?”
“Please, I’m not a size zero.” Angie turned her head and faced the window.
Crystal’s throat constricted as images flashed in her mind of all the photo shoots she’d done. Always under pressure to stay thin and watch every bite she ate. Her old fashion line did lend itself to skinny women. She hadn’t even realized what message she’d been sending out while so immersed in the Hollywood lifestyle.
Her new blog was completely different. The camping outfits she showcased came in all sizes, and she’d picked up a whole new audience.
“No one has to be a size zero to feel good about themself. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”
Crystal stopped short at the words coming out of her mouth. For her whole life, it had always mattered what other people thought. Since when did she not care about it? Of course, she still wanted followers and good ratings, but for the first time, she was getting them on her own by just being herself. She believed in the products she promoted, and her platform had changed. No more catering to the Hollywood crowd, which suited her fine, because she liked her new supporters. Sometimes change was a good thing. “Would you be open to trying out a different look?”
“Maybe, but I wouldn’t know where to start.” Angie fiddled with the hem of her shirt.
“I do. I can already picture an outfit that would make you shine. Gimme a sec.” Crystal eyed Angie and went to work on her phone.
Satisfied, she held the screen up. “What do you think of this?”
“Wow. That’s great. I mean, for sure a new look. I’d wear it, though.”
“I bet your mom would take you to the mall and help you pick some clothes out.”
Angie bit her lip. “I don’t know. She’s pretty upset with me these days, and I don’t want to rack up bills. She already bought me shorts and a T-shirt from the camp store, and I told her it was a waste of money because I’d never wear them.”
Yeah, Mary had a good reason to be distraught because she loved her daughter. And how many teenagers cared about what their family spent on their clothes? Another win in the column of good parenting, even though they were going through a rough patch.
“Clothes don’t have to be expensive. There are knock-off stores and thrift shops—”
“Wait a sec.” Angie’s eyes bulged. “Yougo to thrift shops?”
