The next day, Labelle found her way onto Gracie's floor of the Emporium around noon. "I thought that I could come over during my lunch break," the hedgehog explained, following Gracie to a corner of the floor. "Then we could work on the dress during the day, and you can still keep an eye on your merchandise."
"Is someone covering for you?" Gracie asked, taking out a pencil before sitting down in a chair.
Labelle nodded absentmindedly. "Sable said she could run my area until I get back. Do you think the dress would look better with a herringbone stitch or a mistletoe stitch?"
Gracie thought for a moment. "Well, with what we have going, it might be better to have a vine stitch." As Labelle drew the vine stitch on the design, Gracie hesitated. Do I dare?
"Even those who are also high-class should not know our feelings, dear."
"I talked with Shrunk last night."
Labelle's pencil fell to the floor. She rooted around for it and found it, then stared at Gracie. "You did? When? What happened?"
"After I left the Able Sisters, I went to the plaza. He ended up there, too." Gracie hesitated again, but decided to take the plunge. "For some reason, I was more talkative with him than I am with anyone besides you and Sissel."
The look Labelle gave Gracie made the giraffe want to blush. She knew enough, though, to realize that blushing would make Labelle curious about irrelevant matters. "You're a little red, Gracie," Labelle said, grinning. "I love using that face. Makes anyone blush. Anyway, that's no surprise. Shrunk has a way about him that lends to talking. I myself talk to him a lot when I'm around him."
"Then it's not just me," Gracie breathed in relief. Labelle hooted with laughter.
"Nope, not just you. You're not going soft, friend."
"And I realized what you said," Gracie continued. "He is sad. I think he knows that his wife divorced him. He seemed sad after talking about her."
Labelle glared at the paper she was working with, then erased some lines rather viciously. "Do you know what I think? I think this dress is going to be excellent. But that makes more sense than being in so much denial that he thinks she's teasing him." She looked up. "That was awkward. But you get what I mean."
Gracie nodded silently. She turned her attention to her pile of designs and began working on an unfinished one.
The time passed quickly, and Gracie was deep in her creative zone when Labelle poked her in the side. "Gracie, you have patrons." When Gracie didn't respond, Labelle rolled her eyes and poked the giraffe in the ear.
"Great galloping gnats, Labelle!" Gracie shouted, slapping Labelle away. "Warn me next time, won't you?" She turned to Deirdre and Coco. "Hold on just a moment, please." Gracie pulled herself out of her chair and followed the two. Deirdre wanted a blue and green sofa (seventy thousand) and Coco wanted to get an aquamarine shirt (seven thousand five hundred). After collecting the Bells from Coco and Deirdre, Gracie wrapped up the aquamarine shirt and helped Deirdre down the stairs with her sofa.
When she made it back upstairs, Gracie found Labelle staring, eyes wide. Gracie gave her a quizzical look. "What?"
It took Labelle a moment to find her voice, and when she did, it was a little husky. "You helped carry something," she said, dumbfounded.
Gracie tossed her head. "I can help my patrons, darling."
"Yeah, but you never do."
"We simply sell. They carry it."
"What if I want to help?!" Gracie asked exasperatedly. It wasn't Labelle she was exasperated with; she was tired of… I'm tired of Mother telling me what to do…
"I never said you couldn't," Labelle said carefully.
Gracie slumped back into her seat. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get on your case, Labelle." She sighed. "I've been hearing things that my mother told me as I was growing up. She tried to make me into something like her, and I've felt so guilty for falling short. I was going to follow what I remembered her telling me, but it still bugged me. Because I didn't want her to tell me what to do." Gracie gave a lopsided smile. "I wanted to impress her, but the only way I could impress her was through doing what she told me to. I don't remember any other way." She shrugged and started working on another design. "I guess I'll just disappoint her."
Labelle waited, but when Gracie didn't say anything else, she turned back to her work. Once in a while, the hedgehog glanced at Gracie through the corner of her eye.
Finally, Labelle couldn't keep quiet any longer. "And you're okay with disappointing your mother?"
There was no answer for a little bit. When Labelle had given up on getting an answer, Gracie laughed softly. "No. But I don't want to be everything she tried to push on me. I like the stars, and I like talking to people. I like sitting on brick walls, sharing my feelings, and listening to classical music."
"Was classical music something your mother disapproved of?" Labelle questioned, returning to her own designs.
"I assume so," Gracie said. "I was listening to Bizet's Carmen one day, and she found me listening. She made me return the tapes to the library." The left side of Gracie's mouth turned up. "I was on the last piece when she found me, so I don't know how it ended."
Clicking her tongue, Labelle erased something on her current design. "That's just mean."
Gracie hummed in agreement, and a silence fell. The only thing to make noise was clock as it ticked away. Unconsciously, hoof and footpaw started tapping to the ticking.
I wonder… what would Labelle think if I told her more about Shrunk?
"Dear, hide your feeli-"
No, Mother. Be disappointed in me, but I don't want to be all of that anymore.
"Dear, think about this for a little bit."
Mother, you tried to make me into you. I wanted to impress you, but I never could. So I might as well just go along with the trend and disappoint you. But at least I'll be happier.
"Dear, you do not talk back to your mother."
Sorry, Mother. But I don't want to be you.
"…I'm d… you, dear."
Gracie remembered when her mother told her that, too. She was sitting on the couch, watching the clouds. Her mother had come in, breathing heavily, and told her to get ready so they could go shopping. Gracie had turned around. "I don't want to go. Mother, may I stay home and watch the clouds, please?"
The older giraffe stared at Gracie, then shook her head. "…I'm d… you, dear." She turned and left Gracie on the couch.
"Wait! I didn't mean to disappoint you!" Gracie shouted, jumping down from the couch and running after her mother.
"Just par for the course, huh?" Gracie muttered as she stood up. Labelle glanced up at her.
"What's par for the course?"
Gracie laughed. "Oh, just disappointing Mother. Isn't it about time you got back to the shop?"
Labelle stuck her tongue out at Gracie. "Spoilsport."
"That's really mature, Labelle. Go on, go actually be mature," Gracie said, grinning as she shooed Labelle out of her seat. "I'll see you tonight."
"All right," Labelle sighed. She winked, and Gracie laughed again. "But I expect more work to be done tonight than was done just now."
Gracie laughed more loudly than she had in a very long time.
