February 22, 1985

Window-shopping was amazing. If I didn't have to keep my outfit to a $300 budget, I would have bought the most elegant blue silk dress today. It was lined with black lace on its skirt layers, and the neckline curved beautifully. Marie and Clara both fawned over designs that were far out of their price ranges as well - but isn't that what a girl's afternoon out of window-shopping is all about? Not to my surprise, Harper complained for almost the entire time. It was funny, though, dragging that kid along as we walked around the mall and a couple of boutique shops in the next town over. It was nice to spend an afternoon acting like a real-life teenaged girl, instead of some weighted-down heiress who's practically a half-mother to her little sister. Sometimes, if I'm being completely honest with myself, I just break down and beg... I don't know, God, the spirits... to bring them back. To twist around time and make our lives how they always used to be: happy. Free of sympathetic stares and extra pressures caused by orphanhood. It's a terrible way to think, I know, but some days I really can't help it.

Anyways, at least I have a few ideas for my grad dress. I imagine that Mart will want to hear about our adventures on Monday. His family's away on a road trip for a few days, so I won't be seeing him until the next school week. He'll probably want to tease us girls for spending a good working afternoon wasting energy and mooning over impractical dresses. So typical of Mart.

Oh, Harper's yelling at me to come and have dinner. Speaking of Harper, I've narrowed the love interest suspects down to three... more on that later.