My parents loved every moment as I caught them up on Blake, while I realized that all of the reasons for keeping things from them no longer made sense.
“So, what’s next with Blake? Will you be seeing him again soon?” my mother asked, and I could hear my father agree with the question.
“He’s asked me to join him for fireworks tonight here at the Superstition Mountain Lodge.” I realized then just how much I wanted to go.
“We hope you have a wonderful time, Claire. And we can’t wait to meet Blake. We are so, so proud of everything you’ve been doing to work on yourself and enjoy new experiences. When we get back, you and I will have to take some runs together at Sage Mountain. What do you think, Claire?”
My father asked the question I’d been waiting for my entire life. Turned out, I had to be the one who took the first step rather than waiting on everyone else to take it for me. Anna, my therapist, had been right all along. I wasn’t a victim of life. I had the option of starting anything I wanted, Lord willing. “There’s nothing I’d love more, Dad.”
I had one more happy tear slip through my eyelashes. Looking at my watch, I still had two hours to get refreshed for my date, which I knew I would attend. I thanked my parents for their words and a few minutes later, we ended the call as I wished them well on their New Year’s journey home from Alaska. My heart was full.
*****
An hour later, I was back at the boutique with Tamara.
“I wish I had something I could loan you, Claire. Nothing that fits me right now would work, obviously.” She put a hand on her baby bump.
“Aww, you are so kind, Tamara. Don’t worry, I have things that might work for you in my closet. I did go through the ‘I’ve given up’ phase many times in my life.”
We both chuckled, only stopping when Tamara pulled out a silky, red dress. We gasped. “It’s beautiful,” I said, reaching for the price tag instinctively. Tamara swatted my hand away.
“Try it on first. Just for fun, if anything. You need to see how this makes you feel before you look at what it costs.”
“Wise words, Tamara. Thank you.”
The boutique manager led me to the small fitting area, unzipped the dress, and removed the safety pin that had the price tag on it. “Take your friend’s advice,” she said as she winked at me.
The dress had thick straps and came to right above my knee. The color was flawless; it made my skin glow and my hair look more strawberry than blonde. Between itssweetheart neckline and the gentle ruching down the sides, the dress was extremely flattering, creating a feminine hourglass shape. As I stood in the dress catching my reflection in the mirror, I knew it was special. I knew I wanted to wear it. Nothing else would hold a candle to it.
“Okay, okay. How much?” I whispered to Tamara as I tiptoed out of the dressing area, back in my clothes. The dress was still hanging inside. If I needed a second mortgage to get it, I didn’t want to feel ashamed putting it back.
“It’s notthatbad. You’d spend more on a day skiing.”
Had I expressed just how much I loved this woman? “With or without ski gear rentals?” I asked while she pondered.
“Like, if you had to buy the lift ticket, rent the gear,andbuy some cute clothes to wear so you feelgoodabout skiing, it would be under that price.”
My ski pants were over a hundred dollars. How much were we talking? I held up my hand, holding out all five fingers in reference to the price.
“No, no. Not five hundred.”
I held up three fingers.
She smiled sheepishly. “A teeny bit more. But the good news is, I brought high heels too. You know, in case while I was here at higher altitude, my feet would un-swell.”
We laughed, and I hugged her, feeling better about things since looking at my job offer from Blake’s father. I could swing the dress.
*****
When I turned the corner of the hallway and walked into the grand fireplace area, I saw Blake waiting there, hands in his pockets, looking out at the snow that had just begun gently falling. He hadn’t seen me yet, so I took notice of the fondue pot sitting on the square table in the center of the couches with an assortment of fruits and cheesecake pieces. A single long-stemmed rose was lying beside it.
“Wowwww. Well, hello, gorgeous,” Blake spoke, and I saw he could see my reflection in the glass as I entered the room. Spinning around, we walked towards each other, but I didn’t know what to do when we got there. He took the lead and held my hands in his. “Happy New Year’s,” he spokesoftly, appearing to be a little nervous. I felt his hands trembling in mine. “I’m so glad you made it.”
“I almost didn’t… But then, I did.” I smiled ear to ear, knowing I made the right choice.
He looked me over respectfully. “That dress is everything. Have you ever been told that bright red is your color? It’s also what you were wearing when we met.”
“Oh yes, that’s right. I was wearing my ski coat out since it hadn’t gotten much wear before that.” I smiled at him and noticed his impeccable outfit. He had changed since I saw him earlier in the day, putting on a collarless shirt with the top unbuttoned. He wore crisp, black slacks and a fitted blazer. I caught a glance of our reflection in the window. We looked like we went together, and I was happy to be there on that unexpected New Year’s Eve date.
