‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I’ll drive you.’
The shop was in walking distance but it was too far to carry the sewing machine, and Lucy was glad of the lift.
Daphne looked so happy to see her when she walked in with the machine, and took her straight to the back room, where she’s now set up with everything she needs and lots of space.
‘Just like the old days,’ Daphne had said with a faraway look in her eyes. ‘After Ophelia sold the business, we had a lady out here doing alterations.’
Now that the school year’s started, Lucy’s still working at the dry-cleaning business after school – she needs the money to pay for fabric – then coming to the charity shop for a little while before going home for dinner.
Daphne gave her a key, as she promised, which means she can also come and go on weekends.
It’s Saturday today, and Daphne doesn’t normally come in, but she said something about how she’d rather be here than at home, and because Lucy understands that all too well, she didn’t ask questions.
‘All right, Lucy-Lu?’ Daphne says now as she pops her head around the corner and winks.
‘Yep!’ Lucy grins, and it feels like the first real smile she’s made in ages.
‘That’s my girl.’
Daphne disappears and Lucy feels a warmth in her chest. Almost like someone is hugging her. It’s silly, but she feels like she belongs here at the shop. More than at school or at home or at her parents’ business. Maybe she just belongs with Daphne, who’s more of a grandmother to her than her actual grandmothers, who she doesn’t even know that well.
Families are weird, Lucy thinks, as she looks at a couple of patterns she found in the shop. Each family runs by its own rules – or no rules – on the inside, while trying to look the same on the outside. If everyone just stopped trying to look like everyone else, it would be easier. The weirdness might not even happen then, because she’s convinced it’s the pretending that makes things weird.
In her family, the pressure at the dry-cleaning shop, in particular, to make sure their customers see them all getting along is part of the reason why Lucy’s moved her sewing to the charity shop. It’s too much stress, in addition to her worrying about what Russell is going to do.
The other day she thought he was like a shark swimming around at home and the business, not dangerous until he decides to strike – but Lucy never knows when that’s going to be, so she has to presume it could be at any time and protect herself accordingly.
Daphne understood that when Lucy told her. Said she’d known people like that and the only way to handle them was to avoid them. Lucy’s grateful to Daphne for helping her avoid Russell.
And maybe she’s avoiding her parents too, but that’s only because they’re not doing anything about Russell. Yes, she understands it’s tricky – that her father especially would feel like his hands are tied. She’s his child too, though. Her wellbeing should be an equal priority. As it’s not, she has to look after herself.
‘Hey!’ someone says.
It’s Christina, and Lucy gets the jolt of nerves she always has around her. She keeps waiting for it to wear off.
It must be noticeable too, because the other day Daphne said, ‘You know, she’s just a person like you and me,’ and winked. Lucy was so embarrassed, because it means she’s probably acting silly around Christina and she doesn’t intend to. It’s just sostrangeto have her working in the shop, like she’s not someone who’s been in magazines and movies.
‘Hi,’ Lucy says.
Christina steps into the back room. ‘What are you working on?’
Lucy shrugs and holds up the patterns. ‘Still deciding.’
One is for a 1960s sleeveless swing dress with a high collar. The other is for a longer dress that’s simpler around the neckline, and it would be easier for Lucy to do at this stage of her sewing life, but she isn’t sure she’d wear it. She’d wear the swing dress. It’s fun and light and there’s still enough of summer left for it.
The longer dress would be good practice for the evening gowns she hopes to make one day, though. She hasn’t told anyone that she really wants to get into evening wear. Especially not Christina, even though she would know a bit about it because she’s worn evening gowns to fancy events – Lucy’s seen the photos.
‘Ooh, I love that one.’ Christina points to the swing dress. ‘I’d wear that.’
Lucy giggles, then is immediately embarrassed. Giggling in front of a movie star!
‘You like it too?’ Christina asks.
‘Yeah.’ Lucy clears her throat. ‘I, um, I can’t decide, though.’
‘Tell you what …’ Christina raises an eyebrow. ‘I’ll pay you to make me that swing dress.’
Lucy’s mouth falls open and her mind feels like it’s left her body. Christina wants to wear somethingshe made? No. This can’t be real.