“What do you mean?”
“Well.” Delilah sat down on the couch and patted the cushions, signaling for Samantha to sit down beside her. Thepreteen flopped down a moment later. “If a character wore a hot pink t-shirt and a yellow skirt with flowers on it, what do you think that would say about her?”
“That she’s happy—and confident,” Samantha said.
“Probably.” Delilah nodded. “And if a character wears lots of browns or grays, it might signal that they’re peaceful and they like natural or orderly things, or it might be a way of showing that they don’t like attention. Costume designers can’t tell the story all by themselves, but they do a great job of making it better.”
“Huh.” Samantha grinned. “Can I see your costume?”
“Sure.” Delilah stood up, feeling excited to show her. It had been a long time since anyone had treated the day-to-day routine of being on set as something special, and Samantha’s enthusiasm reminded her of how magical she had found it all once upon a time.
She went over to the closet and pulled out the outfit that had a note with that day’s date on it attached to the hanger. It was a tasteful navy-blue dress, paired with a matching scarf and smart black heels.
“What do you think this says about my character in the movie?” Delilah asked Samantha, who was cooing over the beautiful dress appreciatively.
“That she’s rich?” Samantha guessed.
Delilah laughed. “Yes, she’s pretty rich. And she’s a businesswoman. What else?”
“She likes things to be orderly?” Hazel guessed. “That matching scarf is giving organized vibes.”
“Yes.” Delilah nodded. “Look at you two, so smart.”
Hazel and Samantha laughed and gave each other a high-five. Delilah glanced in Tom’s direction and saw that he was watching her with shining eyes. It was clear from his expression that he felt proud of her, and her heart stirred with joy.
At that moment, there was a knock on the studio door. Delilah hurried to open it, feeling confident about who was on the other side. Sure enough, her makeup artist was standing there, smiling eagerly.
“Where's this bright young talent whose makeup I'm doing today?” she asked, her eyes twinkling. Her red hair had been tinted an almost purple shade of burgundy and her lipstick was so dark it was almost black. Despite her edgy appearance, the smile on her face was warm and inviting and Samantha scampered over to shake her hand.
“I don't know that I'm a bright young talent,” Samantha said, laughing, “but I believe you're referring to me.”
The adults chuckled over how precocious Samantha was, and the preteen smiled. Delilah felt eager and perfectly content about the situation—until in a flash, she had a realization. Her makeup artist, Bernadette, was the same makeup artist that Tom had overheard talking with her co-star about their relationship. Bernadette was usually a kind person, but Delilah had known her to indulge too much in gossip and get a little catty behind people's backs.
She glanced nervously at Tom, wondering if he recognized Bernadette. She saw that he was looking at Bernadette with a tense expression, as if he wondered if she would realize who he was.
Bernadette turned to say something to Delilah and saw Tom standing beside her. Her eyebrows lifted, and it was clear from the slightly condescending expression on her face that she was still passing judgement on their relationship. Delilah and Tom exchanged a glance.
I know exactly how to handle this,Delilah thought.And that's to think absolutely nothing of it.
She stepped closer to him and slipped her fingers through his. “Thank you so much for being here, sweetheart,” she toldhim, gazing up at him with all the adoration that she felt. “Everything feels a little sweeter with you here.”
Tom's eyes shone as he bent down and kissed her forehead. “Right back at you.”
Delilah saw that Hazel and Samantha were watching them with expressions that looked as though they were a few seconds away from full-on squealing. Bernadette’s condescending expression had morphed into one of surprise and even approval. Delilah thought to herself that the makeup artist almost looked a little impressed.
Feeling much better about everything, Delilah stepped forward and pulled out one of the chairs in front of the makeup counter. “Come on over here and sit down, Samantha,” she told her. “How do you want your makeup done? Something more subtle or more glamorous?”
“Mom votes for something subtle,” Hazel said with a laugh. “She's not allowed to wear makeup for a couple more years and I don't want her to gettooexcited.” She and Samantha exchanged scrunched-up nose expressions, making it clear that they had discussed the topic more than once.
“Subtle it is,” said Bernadette, stepping forward with a flourish. “But could I recommend a bright shade of lipstick? Just for fun.”
“Mom, please,” Samantha begged, and Hazel smiled and sighed in resignation.
“Okay,” she said. “A fun lipstick shade it is.”
The rest of the morning passed in a flurry of excitement. Samantha was beside herself with glee over how fun it was to get her makeup done, and Hazel teared up a little when she saw how grown-up her little girl looked with makeup on. Once Delilah was in her costume with her own makeup done, she took them on a tour of the film set. She introduced Hazel, Samantha, and especially Tom to everyone. While some people seemedsurprised that she was bringing them on a tour, everyone was kind and welcoming. She got the three of them settled in comfortable folding chairs in front of where they were about to film and then took her place in front of the cameras.
I can't believe how excited I am to perform right now,she thought with a chuckle.This feels so much more wonderful with people that I love sitting here watching me.
