“Whoa. I can tell a girl lives here.”
My laugh slips out unrestrained. “I like to decorate.”
Compared to their house, with empty walls and no personality beyond grays, blacks, and blues, mine must look like a neatly curated museum.
I survey the space with more than a little bit of pride. In the few weeks since I landed in Minnesota, I’ve done my best to turn this rental into somewhere I could stay a while. The hours while Nellie is at school have been spent thrifting, painting, and DIY-ing my way through each room.
Comfortable and cozy was the vibe I chose. Something that could feel like home.
I painted the walls a buttery yellow and fixed white crown molding to the ceilings myself. In the living room, I thrifted a pack of six art pieces, each one a simple white background with a different pink flower in the middle. The art draws your eye above the beige couch where they hang, inviting me to plop down beneath them.
A cream shag rug adds warmth to the cold hardwood floors and ties in with the furniture and curtains.
Crossing into the kitchen, I drop my purse on the table and check that my blood sugar is holding steady.
106 and even. Beautiful. I put my pod into activity mode, knowing that dancing will affect my glucose.
“Here, my girl. Have some berries and whipped cream while I go put on my dress.” I dig the prepped fruit and a can of Reddi Whip from the fridge.
I work quickly, careful not to mess up my hair. The dress is an A-line made from tulle, with thin straps and a faux corset back. The bust begins in a deep violet, transitioning to a gradient of cream and pale pink in the skirt. Appliqué flowers adorn the top, and gold leaves trail in long rows from my waist to the floor.
The minute I saw it on the rack, I knew it was perfect for a princess party and would complement Nellie’s pink sparkles.
I smudge on eye shadow, mascara, and blush, and finish off my lips in a mauve lippie meant as a liner, but I use it for full color. A sweep of clear gloss seals it in. I don a new pair of cream high heels, and I’m ready.
“Whoa, baby.” Nellie’s mouth drops open as I step into the kitchen. “You really look like a princess,” she says in admiration.
“I clean up pretty nice, don’t I?” The light lace skirt fans out with my twirl.
“My dad is going to fall in love with you.”
My abrupt stop sends the dress swishing back and forth against my ankles.
“Why would you think that?”
“Because I don’t think he’s ever seen anyone so beautiful.” She emphasizes the wordseen.
An unexpected flutter zips through me, chased immediately by absurdity.
I tap her nose. “He’s seen you. Come on. Let’s go get your dress and get to the party. I want to dance.”
We zip over to Sutton’s in record time. The walkable distance feels like only seconds to drive.
“Go ahead and run inside. I’ll be right behind you.” I have a surprise I’ve been saving for the last minute.
I give her a thirty-second head start, then gather the thin white box beneath my seat. My heels clack loudly up the driveway leading to the door Nellie disappeared through. With my hand on the knob, I pause. This isn’t my house, but I’m familiar enough with it that I nearly let myself in.
Fuck it. Walking in unannounced can’t be any worse than the glitter incident my first morning here. Thinking of the memory brings forth a smile. Thinking of Sutton in nothing but that towel does something much less innocent.
The door creaks, announcing my presence. I can hear Nellie chattering away down near the bedrooms, but she’s too far to make her words out.
I’ll wait up here. There’s no sense in walking down the stairs in these heels and risk breaking an ankle.
Setting the box on the kitchen table, I lift the lid. A silver tiara sparkles from a bed of packing foam. The small, encrusted gemstones throw prisms of light across my body as I lift the piece from the box.
Voices grow louder, and footsteps ascend the stairs at my back. I spin around, holding the headpiece in my fingers at my waist. Nellie appears first, twirling at the landing and blocking her dad from finishing his climb.
“How does it look?”