CHAPTER 4
SUMMARY: Sam and Mercedes get pampered before the date; and find out new things about each other on the date
RATING: Teen
WARNING: Mild cursing, talk about death and grief, mention of suicide, depressing themes
SIBLING BONDS
When Sam received her note, he felt like doing a cartwheel, until he realized that possibly breaking his parents' furniture wasn't the way to go, so he just pumped his fist in the air instead. He smelled the gold paper and held the diamond earring up to the light, imagining it adorning her pretty little ear. Leave it to his woman to add these sweet touches, like a mint on your hotel pillow. He sat down on his bed recalling the events that led to this moment.
Since Stacey owned her own calligraphy business called Sugar Pie Calligraphy back in Kentucky where she lived, she hand wrote the card and envelope for him, and Sam dictated to her word for word, exactly what he wanted to say, standing over Stacey's shoulder as she carefully dipped her crow quill pen in a bottle of black ink and slowly wrote the detailed invitation to his specifications. He stood so close to her; that she finally blurted out:
"Uh, Sammy, I love you and all, but you really need to back the fuck up," she said sweetly, gazing up at him, her crystal blue eyes clouded in frustration, "I do this for a living, remember?"
"Sorry, Stacey, I'm just nervous."
"Don't be. I'm impressed that you came up with this idea."
"She loves stuff like this," he said, sitting on her bed. Despite Stacey's "rough around the edges" exterior, her bedroom reflected a softer woman who loved traditional femininity; her queen-sized brass canopy bed was covered with a white lace duvet, and white lace curtains hung in her window.
"Mercedes will be thrilled when she gets this," Stacey said, and began writing again.
"I hope so," Sam said, "You really like her huh?"
"Yeah. So you better treat my future sister-in-law right."
"Sister-in-law?"
Stacey smiled at him.
"Just putting it out in there."
Suddenly Finn, Kurt, and Stevie, walked into the room without knocking, much to Stacey's annoyance.
"Guys, you seriously need to knock."
"Well Sam is in here," Finn said as if that excused their lack of manners; he carried a tray with two turkey sandwiches and golden crispy French fries, "Mama sent up lunch for you two. Where should I put it?"
"Over there on the dressing table," Stacey said, pointing to the other side of the room, "We'll eat in a second."
"We're sorry for not knocking," Stevie said, bending down and kissing the top of his little sister's head.
"I'll let it slide, for now. And don't think that lunch fools me, y'all came to be nosy."
"True," Kurt said sitting down on the bed next to Sam, he touched his brother's hair, "I'm giving you a hair cut."
"Why?"
"Cause you look like a stray dog, that's why," Stevie said, sitting on the bed too, "You want to look good for Mercedes, don't you?"
Sam sighed.
"It's not that bad," he said, touching his hair as it fell into his eyes; he wondered if Mercedes thought the same thing.
Finn took a handful of fries and joined his brothers on the bed, taking up a lot of space with his hulky frame, "Where are you going to eat tonight?"
Sam took a few fries from Finn's hand.
"Sir Walter Raleigh Inn," he said, popping the fries in his mouth, "Damn these are good, Papa made them didn't he?"
Finn nodded and bit into a fry.
"Yeah he's got the Fry Daddy going."
Sam always thought his father's fries put McDonald's fries to shame. Soon Kurt and Stevie went over and grabbed some fries off the tray too.
"Y'all better leave some for me," Stacey said, "Ok, Sam, I'm done." She held up the invitation for him to see, "What do you think?"
Sam hopped off the bed to get a closer look.
"It looks awesome, Stacey, thank you so much," he said giving her a big hug, "Love you, sis."
"You're welcome. Now none of you touch it. I don't want your greasy hands to ruin it."
"We weren't raised in a cave, give us some credit," Kurt said and looked at Sam, "Go take a shower, and come back here so I can cut your hair."
"Let me eat first," Sam said, going over to the dressing table and picking up his sandwich, "Besides, I have to deliver the invitation."
"Ok, but don't take too long."
After he finished half of his sandwich, with Finn helping himself to the other half before he could get to it, Sam washed his hands, put the invitation in the envelope, and delivered it to Mercedes' room. He then showered and changed into a fresh pair of sweats and a Remington School hoodie that he bought from Mercedes during a school fundraising drive. When he returned, his siblings were all still gathered in Stacey's room, laughing and joking. For a moment, he just watched them, lying on her bed trading insults and catching up, and he realized how fortunate he was to have such a tight-knit family. When Kurt saw him, he said:
"Come on, Shaggy, we need to get you cleaned up."
Sam sat on a fold-up chair in the center of the room, and Kurt covered him with a bright purple salon cape, and then began snipping away at his long, damp, locks. His brother learned to cut hair when they were in high school because he hated the barbers in Dusk Hollow, and he figured he could do a better job himself, so he convinced Burt to let him go to barbering school one summer. He quickly learned the craft, giving all his brothers and Burt haircuts when they needed it. He once said he loved cutting Blaine's hair because it was "wonderfully wavy."
"I can't believe you let your hair get this long," Kurt murmured.
"I've been busy," Sam said.
Finn put his arms around Stevie and Stacey.
"I love that we're all here like this. We don't see each other enough."
Stacey sighed and lay her head on Finn's shoulder:
"I know. Sometimes I get lonely in Kentucky."
Stevie squeezed Finn's knee.
"Tell you what, let's all make an effort to see each other more in the new year. Maybe we can do a few long weekends at Blackberry Farm or something."
"I'm down for that," Sam said, "I think Mercedes and Abby would like that too."
"Me too," Kurt said, lifting a lock of Sam's hair and cutting it.
After Kurt finished cutting his hair, he blow-dried it, and handed Sam a mirror to look at the result. Sam studied himself in the mirror and saw how much better he looked. Kurt kept it basic, since he knew his taste. Stacey whistled.
"You'll have to fight the ladies off."
"There's only one lady I'm concerned with and she's down the hall," Sam said, blushing as he handed Kurt the mirror, "Thanks, Kurt, it looks good."
"Of course it does," Kurt said in that arrogant manner of his, "I could open a barbershop if I wanted to. He then touched Sam's cheek and grimaced. "I'm giving you a shave too. This whole 'roll out of bed thing' simply doesn't work for you."
Sam was offended.
"I'm capable of shaving myself."
"Don't get your panties in a bunch. Consider it a Christmas gift. Mercedes will appreciate it. I got all the supplies here."
"Alright," Sam said, touching his 5 o'clock shadow, "You can give me a fancy shave."
Finn looked at him, his eyes sad.
"Be kind to yourself. You're a great guy and you have a good woman."
"He's right," Stevie said.
Sam looked at his siblings, and his heart felt full of gratitude. He stood up, opening his arms wide, "Group hug."
Kurt rolled his eyes and pretended the request was beneath him, but Sam knew it was all for show. Finn, Stacey and Stevie stood up and walked over to Sam and soon all of them formed a circle with their arms wrapped around each other.
"If we were underwater, this would be like Prince of Tides," Finn said, making everyone laugh. When the chuckles died down, Sam said:
"It's been a horrible year for me. And I just want to say how much I love and appreciate all of you. You helped me get through it."
There were quiet "I love you's" exchanged among them in the tight circle of love they formed. Kurt was the first to break the circle.
"I hate to kill a moment, but I need to get the shaving supplies," he said, as he gently disengaged himself from the massive hug. Sam saw a tear trickle down his brother's milky pale cheek and knew his declaration touched him.
"You're crying," he pointed out.
Kurt brushed away the tear on his cheek.
"Dust allergies."
"Awww, Kurtie has a heart," Stacey said, teasing him, "It's ok, we won't tell Blaine."
They laughed again as they broke the hug, and a few tears were shed. Kurt left and returned with his shaving supplies: a high-end badger brush, a straight razor with a teak wood handle, a can of shaving cream, a bottle of pre-shave oil, and a leather razor strop. As Sam lied back in the recliner across from Stacey's bed, Kurt performed the art of a barbershop shave. First he sprayed Sam's face with water, then he applied the pre-shave oil, massaging it into his face. Sam closed his eyes, feeling completely mellow.
"Stacey, go make a hot towel, will you?" Kurt said.
A few minutes later, Stacey returned with a hot towel and Kurt put it on Sam's face.
"Lie there and relax," he said to Sam, "I'm going to prepare the shaving cream and sharpen the razor."
Sam was almost asleep when Kurt finally removed the towel and began applying the shaving cream with the badger brush in a vigorous circular motion against the grain.
"You know," Finn said, rubbing his cheek, "I'm a little scruffy myself. Give me a shave too."
"I could use one too," Stevie said, "Help us out, bro."
Kurt looked up and sighed like an old man put upon by life's demands.
"Very well, gentlemen. I'll give you each a shave after I finish with Sam," he said, then glanced over at Stacey who sat in the middle of the bed, combing out her long blonde hair, "Do you need a shave too?"
"Are you saying I have facial hair?"
Kurt laughed.
"I'm only joking. You know you should do hair shows. Your hair is beautiful."
"Oh, please, I couldn't sit still that long" Stacey said.
"That model thing isn't what it's cracked up to be," Sam said, thinking of his modeling days, "People aren't genuine."
Kurt turned Sam's head to the side, and began to shave his face, gently stretching his skin, as he guided the razor along, following the direction of his hair growth.
"It's our Humble Hummel blood," he said, "It makes us genuine."
"Mercedes is genuine," Sam said, thinking of his woman. So many times he saw her genuine, kind heart. The way she dealt with Abby, and how she was so patient with those kids at the Remington School amazed him. And little things touched her like a pretty sunset or the sparkle of an icicle hanging from the eaves of the house. Only a genuine soul would notice those simple treasures.
"She is," Stevie agreed, nodding his head, "I really enjoyed spending time with her and Abby today."
"I'm glad y'all like her. She's very special to me," Sam said.
After Kurt finished shaving him, he covered Sam's face with a cold towel, then rubbed his face with an alum block; and then he applied a citrus-smelling aftershave called Serge Lutens L'Eau. Kurt stepped back and clapped his hands.
"Voila! You are now, clean-shaven, and your haircut is perfect. Mercedes won't know what to do with herself."
"Thanks, Kurt."
"Anytime, little brother, anytime."
As Sam smiled at the memory of the afternoon's events, he picked up her earring once again.
"I'm a lucky man," he whispered.
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
As Mercedes enjoyed a cup of tea before getting ready for her date with Sam, Abby came into their room, holding a picture she drew. After an afternoon of sledding, Rachel had the children settle down with some "quiet time activities" and in the family room they worked on various arts and crafts projects. Abby decided to draw a picture with colored pencils. Even though Rachel could be a drama queen, she was growing on Mercedes, and she was good with the kids, especially Abby.
Setting down her mug, Mercedes took the picture.
"You drew this for me?"
Abby nodded and sat down beside her. Mercedes studied the picture. It showed her and Abby standing next to a Christmas tree with lots of presents, holding hands, and Sam was beside them playing the guitar. But what she saw at the top of the drawing, broke Mercedes' heart, above the Christmas scene was Shane, dressed as Santa and he had wings; he looked down on them, with arms open wide. Abby pointed to Shane.
"I miss him too," Mercedes said.
Abby leaned against her, her small brown fingers made a path from Shane to Sam and ended on her and her mother. At first Mercedes was confused, but then she understood.
"Yes, we're all together here on earth with Sam, but your father is watching us. He's not going away."
Abby hugged Mercedes and she was reminded of a past Christmas.
"Baby, is she still sleep?
"Shane you know Abby sleeps like a rock. We'll get this bike finished by morning."
Shane spread the instructions out on the living room floor, then he looked perplexed. Mercedes touched his arm.
"What's wrong?"
"These darn instructions are in Chinese."
Mercedes laughed.
"The English version is probably on the other side."
Shane turned the paper over.
"These are in Spanish." He looked at Mercedes.
"Houston, we have a problem."
The two of them laughed and he pulled her off the couch, gathering her in his arms.
"Make a strong pot of coffee, we're in for a long night."
"Christmas comes but once a year Santa"
"Yeah but this Santa has no elves."
Mercedes kissed him.
"You got me."
He held her close
"That's even better."
"We should get started."
"I love you," Shane said, kissing her, his hands gliding up and down her back.
"I love you, too."
"You're looking all kinds of sexy in this Mickey Mouse nightgown."
Mercedes giggled.
"Am I?"
"Yes, Lord. Do you think we can – "
"What about the bike?"
He nuzzled her soft neck.
"I'm your handyman, I'll figure it out."
"That you are."
Mercedes' felt hollow as she broke out of her reverie; she rubbed Abby's back until her daughter pulled away from her, picked up the picture, and pointed to Sam.
"I like Sam," Mercedes said, "Don't you?"
Abby nodded and pointed to Shane.
"I'll never stop loving your father and neither will you. You know what the greatest thing about your father was?"
Abby touched her heart.
"That's right," Mercedes said, blinking away her tears, "It was his heart. It was so big that he let a lot of people in; and you're just like him, Abby. Your heart is big like your father's and you can love many people."
Abby looked up at her and Mercedes understood the question in her eyes.
"It's ok to let Sam in," she said.
Abby snuggled on her mother's lap and Mercedes sang the song Shane used to sing to their daughter until the day he died.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Something shifted in the air of the room as she sang, a stillness that she was certain Abby felt too. She rocked to and fro, her arms tightly wound around her child, and flashes of Shane zipped through her mind: cooking pancakes on Sunday morning, helping Abby build a tree house in the back yard, coming home with flowers for no particular reason…
And Shane's light shined in that room.
"Merry Christmas, Shane," Mercedes whispered into the stillness and light. Abby looked up at her mother with tear-filled eyes, and eased out of her arms. She reached into the pocket of her overalls, pulled out her glittery pink notepad, and wrote a note:
Daddy is here.
Mercedes nodded, hugging her daughter tight.
FAIRY GODSISTERS
Mercedes was about to curl her hair, when a knock came on her bedroom door, for a second she wondered if it was Sam. She set the curling iron down on the bathroom sink and went to see whom it was. She opened the door and saw Stacey, Rachel, and Helen standing before her, holding a make-up case, a footbath, and a fold-up manicure table.
"Good, you're not ready," Stacey said, looking Mercedes up and down, as she pushed into the room.
"What's going on?"
"We're here to pamper you," Helen said placing the footbath on the floor.
"Pamper me?"
"Yes, pamper you," Rachel said, sitting her big, pink make-up case on the dresser.
"I know how to get ready," Mercedes said, "I'm not helpless."
"Honey, please," Stacey said, "We get that, but we just thought – "
"We thought it would be fun to help you get ready for your date," Rachel said, "Sam talks about how hard you work and well, every woman needs a spa day, and since we don't have time for that, you'll have to settle for a spa hour."
Mercedes shook her head and smiled, though she's only known them for two days, she already loved these women. Abby watched quietly from the bed where she was reading a book about birds. Rachel smiled at her.
"Would you like to help us get your mother ready?"
Abby smiled back at her, closed her book, and went to Rachel, standing next to her near the dresser.
"I feel like Cinderella," Mercedes said, overwhelmed with gratitude for such a kind gesture.
"Then we're your fairy god sisters," Helen said, pulling the cherry wood chair away from the window and patting the cushion, "Have a seat, milady."
Mercedes sat down and the spa hour began. Stacey unfolded the manicure table and set it in front of her. Helen went to the bathroom to fill the footbath with warm water. Rachel began applying a green tea and honey facemask to her face.
"I made this myself and it's chock full of antioxidants," she said as she gently rubbed the mixture onto Mercedes' face, "Your skin is already pretty and this will make it glow."
"It smells heavenly," Mercedes said.
Rachel turned to Abby, nodding toward her make-up case.
"Inside that case is a timer, could you please set it for 15 minutes."
Abby retrieved the timer and set it, and then Rachel instructed her to get a few wash clothes and towels from the bathroom.
"Let me see your hands," Stacey said, and Mercedes obliged, holding them out for her inspection. Stacey sighed as she surveyed her poor nail-bitten hands.
"You're too beautiful to have hands like this. But don't fret, I'll whip'em into shape. You're getting a sweet almond manicure," Stacey said, squeezing her hands a little, "You'll be amazed."
"I'm holding you to that," Mercedes said, smiling up at her, "I do have a bad nail-biting habit.
Helen returned with the footbath and placed it by Mercedes' bunny slipper clad feet. She knelt on the floor.
"These are cute but I need to take them off," she said, as she removed her slippers, revealing Mercedes, poor, neglected feet, "You're getting a Helen Hummel Deluxe Pedicure."
Stacey began working on her nails. She trimmed the jagged edges first and then shaped them with a nail file. When she was finished, she went to the bathroom and filled a large bowl with water, upon returning, she placed the bowl on the table and placed a smaller bowl inside which she filled with sweet almond and jojoba oil.
"Put your fingertips in the small bowl," she said to Mercedes.
Mercedes dipped her hands into the fragrant oil and sighed, breathing in the luxurious aroma. After a few minutes Stacey added warm water to the small bowl and it turned into a milky white solution.
"Swirl your fingertips," Stacey said.
Mercedes swirled her fingertips in the milk bath, and after soaking for a few more seconds, Stacey removed her hands and dried them with a towel. Just then the timer went off, and Rachel gently removed the green tea and honey mask with a warm washcloth. Helen cut and filed Mercedes' toenails; and afterwards, put her feet into the footbath, with warm, rippling water that smelled like roses. Mercedes enjoyed the vibrating bath and closed her eyes. Rachel used a NuVita facial massager on Mercedes' face and neck and the calming sensation felt so good against her skin that she let out a relaxed sigh. Rachel looked down at Abby, who stood next to her; and was fascinated with the device.
"Would you like to try?" Rachel asked her.
Abby nodded and took the facial massager, waiting for instructions on what to do next.
"Press it gently against her face."
Abby stood on a stool, and with Rachel's careful eye watching her, she massaged her mother's face, giggling while using the device.
"Abby is a great little helper," Stacey said as she pushed back Mercedes' cuticles with a cuticle stick, "And just as pretty as her Mama."
Abby blushed at the praise and returned the facial massager to Rachel.
"Thank you, Abby," she said, "Why don't you pick out some pretty colors of nail polish you think your mother might like. I have a whole bunch of different colors in my make-up case."
Abby went to the dresser, opened up the case, and began to choose from Rachel's selection of nail polish. Helen removed Mercedes' feet from the footbath and dried them.
"I think this is going to be more like an hour and a half spa," she said, while applying cuticle remover to Mercedes' toenails, "But we have time."
"Thanks so much for all of this," Mercedes said, "I feel so pampered and relaxed."
Stacey washed Mercedes' hands with the warm bowl of water on her table, and then used a manicure nipper to remove any dead skin. "You're welcome. I can't wait to see Sam's face when we're finished."
"I hope you have fun tonight," Helen said as she pushed back her toenail cuticles with an orangewood stick, "I heard that Sir Walter Raleigh's is a nice place."
"We could go to McDonald's and I would have a good time," Mercedes said, "I just love spending time with him."
"Somebody's whipped," Stacey said, as she rubbed cuticle eraser and solar oil onto Mercedes' nails, "But my brother has that effect on women."
"He has a big effect on me, that's for sure," Mercedes said winking at her, as Stacey rubbed almond moisture scrub onto her hands, rinsed them in a milk bath, and wiped away the scrub with a sponge.
Mercedes basked in the attention they showered on her. Growing up with Aunt Josephine deprived her of many "girly" pleasures. Her aunt was kind and loving, but she didn't have time to indulge Mercedes with beauty tips and girl talk. Since they lived off her salary alone, she often worked two jobs to support them. And when her aunt fell ill when Mercedes was in high school, and had to stay home and recover, Mercedes sang at nightclubs, weddings, and funerals, just to keep them afloat. During her junior year, when everyone else was at the prom, Mercedes was singing at a bar mitzvah on the other side of town. People liked her well-enough in high school, but she was never popular, and party invitations were never extended to her, so she learned to stay on the periphery of everyone's consciousness. She had acquaintances; girls she passed in the hallway and said hello to, but nothing more than that. When she went to college, she made friends, but they lost touch, and then she married Shane and had Abby, and though she was friendly with the other teachers at Lima Elementary and even had drinks with them; she never felt that female bonding closeness she craved.
"Mercedes, how are you wearing your hair? Up or down?" Rachel asked her.
"She's wearing it down, per Sammy's instructions," Stacey said, "Are you styling it?"
"Yes, but I want to do her make-up first."
Mercedes hated to kill the vibe, so she kept her mouth shut, but she wondered if Rachel was used to doing African-American hair; it wasn't a big deal, really it wasn't, and Rachel was being such a sweetheart, yet part of her wondered. Rachel ran her hands, through Mercedes' clean, blow-dried hair.
"I love how thick it is. It reminds me of my cousin's hair. You know you two resemble each other except she's a little darker."
"I do?"
Mercedes' confusion about her resemblance to her cousin, suddenly registered with Rachel and she laughed.
"One of my fathers is black."
"Oh, I see," Mercedes said.
"Yes, and I'm close to his brother's kids, especially my cousin Nia, and that's who you remind me of, we used to have sleepovers and do each other's hair."
Mercedes looked up at her.
"That's so sweet. I've never had a sleepover."
"Are you serious?" Helen asked as she scrubbed Mercedes' feet with a pumice stone, getting rid of the calluses, "That's on the agenda for next year. We're having a sleepover, drinking wine, eating junk food and watching rom-coms."
"I'm in," Stacey said while she drizzled a warm, thick, shimmering, pale gold liquid, onto Mercedes' hands and spread it evenly on the top of both hands with a facial brush applicator, "We can go somewhere fun and y'all can leave the kids with your husbands."
Mercedes loved the warm feeling of the liquid and asked Stacey what it was.
"It's a moisture masque for your hands," Stacey explained and wrapped Mercedes' hands in two clean towels, "That needs to set a bit."
While Mercedes' hands were wrapped in the masque treatment, Stacey helped Rachel do her make-up by handing her the various cosmetics as she needed them and making suggestions. Abby showed Mercedes the nail polish colors she thought would look best. They were three different shades of red. Mercedes chose the brightest shade of red because she felt bold, and Abby smiled at her choice, nodding in agreement. Helen massaged wild rose foot cream into Mercedes' feet, making them soft and supple.
"Helen, my feet have never felt so good," Mercedes said, "And they look pretty too."
Helen nodded.
"They'll look even prettier after I paint them."
Helen took the bright red polish, aptly called Frankly, Scarlett, and began to paint her toenails. Rachel and Stacey finished her make-up, but they wouldn't let Mercedes see their creation until she was dressed with her hair done. They wanted it to be a surprise.
"Trust me, you look gorgeous," Rachel said to her, "Where's your curling iron?"
"In the bathroom."
Rachel left and came back with the curling iron and a jar of olive oil moisturizer. She plugged in the curling iron, and while it was heating up, she combed her thick tresses with a wide toothcomb. By now, Helen finished painting her toenails, and Mercedes' feet, which she often considered rather ugly, actually looked beautiful.
"Thank you, Helen."
"You're welcome," she said squeezing her shoulder.
Stacey unwrapped her hands, wiped away the masque with a sponged dipped in warm water and dried them. Then she rubbed almond moisturizer into her hands and began painting her nails with the bold red polish. Rachel curled Mercedes' hair, taking care not to leave the iron on too long on each section of hair, and soon her hair was in a mass of curls. Mercedes wanted to see how it looked, but she waited as promised. Rachel applied the olive oil moisturizer to her hair when she was finished. Her nails were completed soon after. They looked as wonderful as her feet.
"Thank you, Stacey, my nails look awesome!"
"Well, I do aim to please, now get dressed and no peeking."
It was difficult, but Mercedes managed not to look at herself in the bathroom mirror as she put on her pantyhose and slipped on the dress. She needed help zipping it up, so she went into the bedroom.
"Could somebody zip me up?" she asked.
Stacey zipped her up and helped her put on the opal and diamond pendant necklace.
Mercedes was finally ready.
Everyone looked at her with big smiles, holding their hands to their hearts like proud mothers when they see their children's first dance recital. Even Abby's face beamed with pride as she gazed upon her mother.
"Well, fairy god sisters, how do I look?"
"See for yourself," Helen said and uncovered the full-length mirror in the corner of the room.
Mercedes walked over to the mirror and stared at herself. She couldn't believe it. Her lips were red and enticing, her cheeks had a rosy glow, and her eyes shimmered with baroque sateen eye shadow; her hair cascaded down her back in soft curls; and the blue silk chiffon dress clung to every curve, she turned and it billowed out, showing off her thick legs encased in the sleek pantyhose; and the necklace sparkled around her neck, rested just above the valley of her cleavage.
"I can't believe that's me," she whispered, "Thank you so much."
They gathered around her oohing and aahing, primping and patting, and then strong hugs followed with a few happy tears. Abby hugged her mother tight, looking up at her with bright eyes.
"I guess mommy is Cinderella tonight, huh?"
"You're missing an earring," Rachel said, pointing to her ear.
"It's ok, I'll get it later," Mercedes said.
Stacey pointed to the clock radio on the dresser.
"It's 5:45, you better get moving."
Mercedes held Abby's hand.
"I'm ready."
ANGEL IN A BLUE DRESS
When Sam saw Mercedes walk down the stairs wearing that blue silk dress and smiling at him like he was the only one she saw in the room; his heart flipped.
Damn, she was beautiful.
Radiant.
She was like that first glimpse of sunrise when the sky turned gold.
And she gazed at him as if he were her sunrise too. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, he couldn't hold back any urges he had; he didn't care about propriety or Emily Post manners or any of that stuff that restrained you. He pulled that exquisite, beautiful, wonderful, angel of a woman, into his arms and kissed her like no one was watching. Then he stepped back, gazing at her flushed face and glazed over eyes, her voluptuous curves wrapped in blue silk chiffon, her lips a glorious red and her shiny black hair in all those curls, hanging loose and free down her back like a fairytale princess, and he couldn't imagine spending another day without her.
"God Almighty, you're beautiful," he whispered, touching her cheek.
He thought he heard his brothers and sister saying they better get a move on because they had reservations, and his parents wishing them a good night and to drive safe…
That's what he thought he heard, but he wasn't listening that closely because all he could concentrate on was the thumping in his chest and her slow, steady breathing as she stared at him, and her sweet almond rose scent that enchanted him. Somehow he got their coats from the closet and he waved over his shoulder at his family and they were about to walk out the door, when she stopped him:
"I need to kiss Abby good night."
Sam understood. How could he forget Abby? He felt bad and followed Mercedes as she walked over to Abby who sat on the stairs watching them.
"You be good, Abby, you hear me?"
Abby nodded and hugged her mother. Mercedes kissed her cheek.
"I love you."
Abby kissed her and let go, her eyes shining. Carol put her arm around the little girl.
"Don't worry about Miss Abby; she'll be fine here with us. And we're texting you every hour."
"Abby, me and your mother will be back soon, ok?" Sam said, looking down at her.
Abby gave him a tiny smile, opening her arms for a hug.
Tears welled up in his eyes when she did this; and he didn't hesitate to put his arms around her, hugging her to his heart, "You be good sugar plum."
When they finished their good-byes, Mercedes thanked Carol and as she and Sam walked to the front door; he remembered something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out her diamond stud earring.
"I think this belongs to you."
She took the earring and was about to put it on when he stopped her. He brushed away her hair from her left ear and gently put it in her ear lobe, fastening it securely, kissing her soft neck before her backed away; he then took her by the hand, and led her outside into the cold winter evening.
ooo
For some reason, Sam was tongue-tied as they drove to the restaurant. He felt shy. Mercedes squeezed his shoulder.
"You're awfully quiet."
"I'm sorry, I just hope we don't run into any traffic," he said, lying through his teeth. Dusk Hollow never had traffic.
"You look really handsome. I like your haircut."
This made him feel warm inside like hot chocolate on a cold day.
"Thanks. Kurt cut it. He gave me a fancy barbershop shave too."
And then she did what Sam thought was the most awesome thing ever, she reached over and stroked his cheek, her small hands feeling the silkiness of his skin.
"It's smooth. I like it."
"Thank you."
"And your suit is nice too."
"Got it at an outlet," he said and paused for a moment, "I can't get over how beautiful you look."
He glanced at her, and even in the dark car, he knew she was blushing.
"Thank you, Sam," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, and cracking just a little.
ooo
Sam hoped that the Sir Walter Raleigh Inn lived up to its rave reviews on yelp dot com. When they walked into the restaurant, hand in hand, he couldn't stop grinning, or stop the giant army of butterflies fluttering around in his belly; Mercedes squeezed his hand, and this calmed him down. The maître d' seated them quickly since they had a reservation. He put them in a private dining room as Sam requested.
Mercedes was impressed with the décor. Paintings of blue oceans and wildflower filled meadows hung on the ivory-colored walls, and three-tiered silver and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Crisp white tablecloths covered the round dark wood tables, and in the center of each table was a large crystal bowl filled with water with the tops of fresh white roses and white floating candles bobbing on the surface.
"Sam, this place is fabulous."
"I'm glad you like it," he said, pulling out her chair for her.
"And you got us a private dining room too!"
Sam sat down next to her, taking her hand.
"I wanted our first date to be special."
"This is beyond special; this is just… just wonderful."
Sam leaned over and kissed her full red lips.
A waiter entered the room; he was an older man, around 60 years old, and dressed in a white silk shirt, black tie and black dress pants, his graying hair was slicked back and he had piercing dark eyes. He had an accent that Sam couldn't quite place.
"Good evening, Sir and Madam, welcome to the Sir Walter Raleigh Inn. My name is Jacque and I will be your server this evening. Could I interest you in a beverage as you peruse the menu?"
"I'll have a glass of white Zinfandel," Sam said.
Mercedes glanced at the wine list.
"I'll have the same."
"Very well" Jacque said, as he poured them each a glass of water and gave Mercedes a lingering stare. She looked at him and he looked away, embarrassed at being caught.
"Forgive me, madam, but I must say that dress is quite lovely. You look like the fabled bluebird of happiness, only more fetching."
Sam frowned at him.
"Could you get us our drinks? We're on a tight schedule."
"Very well, sir," he said and left the room.
Mercedes opened the black leather menu.
"He didn't mean any harm."
"I didn't like how he stared at you. Bluebird of happiness, my ass."
Mercedes laughed, squeezing his hand.
"Old men with weird accents aren't my thing."
"So what is your thing?"
"Oh, a certain handsome green-eyed blond, with lovely, plump lips, and a wonderful smile, who cares about his family and the people he loves. He believes in God, and tries to do the right thing even when it's hard, and he's willing to take a chance on a widow with a beautiful 8-year old daughter. You might know him."
Her words moved him, and he reached over, pulling her close and kissed her. When he pulled away, he said:
"Yeah, I think I know him. But you got one thing wrong."
"What's that?"
"It's not taking a chance when you know in your heart it's a sure thing," he said and kissed her again.
When Jacque returned with the wine, he also brought a basket of dinner rolls, lightly browned and warm from the oven, and a small dish of sweet creamed butter, placing everything on the table he said:
"Will you be needing more time to order?"
"No, we're ready," Sam said.
They both chose Caesar salads and bowls of crab bisque soup for starters, and for the main course, Mercedes ordered grilled lamp chops with roasted rosemary beets and sautéed spinach, and Sam ordered the balsamic rosemary marinated steak florentine with garlic mashed potatoes with caramelized onions, and oven roasted asparagus sprinkled with parmesan flakes. After Jacque left, they sipped their wine and munched on the dinner rolls with whipped sweet butter. Sam's nervousness disappeared, and he just enjoyed the company of his woman.
"Tell me something crazy about yourself," he said.
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Something nobody knows."
"Hmmm, let's see," she said, tilting her head to the side, "I used to work for a phone sex line."
Sam almost spit out his wine, but then he saw how she giggled and knew it was a joke.
"You had me for a split second," he said, clearing his throat.
"I know," she said, clapping her hands, "That was priceless!"
"No, but really I want to know something nobody knows about you."
Mercedes took a sip of wine.
"Growing up with my Aunt Josephine wasn't always easy. She worked two jobs and I was home alone a lot. When I was 13, we lived next door to this family. The Hathaways. They were your American dream family with a nice house, baby twin girls, and even a dog. Sometimes I would pretend like I was a part of their family. I became a big sister to the baby girls and a perfect daughter for Mrs. Hathaway who was a stay at home Mom who baked cookies and planted a flower garden, and to Mr. Hathaway who left everyday wearing a suit. The crazy thing is, they barely saw me. I had to stay in the house most of the time, so I just watched them from my bedroom window, coming and going. It was a comforting fantasy because I felt so alone."
Sam held her hand, his heart broke for the lonely little girl Mercedes once was.
"That's sad."
"It was. But things got better for me eventually."
Sam kissed her, caressing her face.
"Thanks for sharing that with me."
"You're welcome. Now it's your turn."
"When I was in high school, I was really popular – "
Mercedes smirked, interrupting him.
"Big surprise."
Sam kissed her temple.
"There's more to the story, sweetheart. Anyway, I was a popular jock, played football, dated a hot girl named Keira, did some modeling, and I was miserable. I was a jerk that went along with the crowd and bullied the losers. One of my team mates created a website that rated all the girls at Dusk Hollow High, kind of like Rate My Teacher dot com. One girl rated the lowest for the entire school, her name was Callie Brewster, and she won the title of The Beast and Keira, was rated the highest and she was named The Beauty. We covered Callie's locker with pictures of Chewbacca, and dumped dog food on her lunch tray."
Mercedes' eyes grew sad as she listened to his story.
"That's horrible."
"I know. But that's not the end."
"Tell me it gets better."
"You'll have to judge for yourself."
"Ok."
"I admit that Callie wasn't a head-turner, but she was certainly no beast. She was rail thin, and mousy, with bucked teeth, and ugly clothes. I felt bad about the stuff I was doing, because I knew what it was like to be bullied, since I was bullied and called Trouty Mouth in junior high, but I kept doing it to fit in, that was more important to me than hurting a girl's feelings. Kurt and Finn were away at college, but they found out what was going on; they didn't tell our parents, but they called me an asshole and said we were taught to be better than that. And they were right."
Mercedes picked up another dinner roll and tore it in half.
"What happened next?" she asked as she buttered the roll.
"Prom is what happened. Despite winning The Beast title and being bullied, Callie came to the Prom alone, wearing an awful, frilly, purple dress. Her face was covered in clownish make-up and her hair was in frizzy curls. You could tell she made an effort to be 'pretty' but failed. She sat alone; nobody talked to her or danced with her, and she did something courageous, she danced alone to all the songs, slow and fast, and she even smiled, and when I saw her courage, I saw her beauty. Kids at the Prom still treated her like crap, but she kept dancing anyway."
"That took guts," Mercedes said.
"Yes it did. Anyway, Keira and I were crowned Prom King and Queen, and when the spotlight fell on us for our victory dance; I saw Callie standing in the crowd, her cheap corsage was wilted and someone had thrown punch on her dress, but she stood there admiring us, and I couldn't be that awful person anymore. I was better than that. So I walked over to Callie and said: 'I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. I hope you can forgive me. I just want to say that you look beautiful. Would you like to dance?' She was shocked. I mean really shocked and so was everyone else. While Keira yelled at me, I took Callie's hand, and we danced to the Tennessee Waltz because that's a Dusk Hollow High tradition for the Prom King and Queen. After our dance ended, I gave back my crown and Keira dumped me. That Monday, I quit the football team. I stopped modeling and hanging out with the popular crowd. Callie and I became friends and I joined the Glee Club."
"Glee Club?"
"Yeah, I like singing. It was the least popular club in school, but I liked those kids a lot better than my former so-called friends. We got harassed but we survived. And my family saw how much happier I was."
"Wow."
"Are you surprised?"
"Yes, because knowing the man you are now, I could never imagine you being intentionally cruel. I'm glad you saw the light and changed. Whatever happened to Callie?"
"After we graduated, she went to the University of Alaska because that was a dream of hers. She worked her way through college, got braces, got married, and became a biology professor. She has 6 kids. You know what she told me that still gets me to this day?"
"What?"
"She said on the night of the Prom she wanted to kill herself. That she wondered why she was born and why she was a beast. Then she heard a song on the radio, Beautiful, and she started singing along, and she put down the bottle of pills, got dressed and went to the Prom; and those times she was smiling while she danced, she was singing that song in her head. Then when I asked her to dance she saw that I didn't' pity her, that I actually thought she was beautiful."
Sam let the tears fall when he revealed that last part of his story; Mercedes hugged him.
"Thanks for opening up to me."
"You're welcome. Thanks for listening. I didn't mean to talk so much. I've never told that story before. I learned so much from Callie and she helped me grow as a person. I'm so thankful she didn't take those pills. If you saw her now, you would never think she was ever that girl; and her family is beautiful."
They hugged until Jacque entered the room with their crab bisque soup and Caesar salads. The food smelled good, and Sam's stomach grumbled.
"I'm starving," he said as Jacque placed his soup in front of him.
"I am too," Mercedes said, unfolding her napkin; "It looks delicious."
Jacque clasped his hands in front of him.
"Will you be needing anything else at this present time?"
"No, we're good for now," Sam said.
"Bon appétit," Jacque said with a little bow of his head and then he was gone.
The crab bisque was the best Sam ever tasted, with its smooth, creamy texture, large chunks of tender, sweet crabmeat, minced shallots, and the rich flavors of sherry, heavy cream and butter all combined together, created a wonderful soup, and Sam wondered if he could recreate the same thing at home, or perhaps make it even better. The Caesar salad was also quite good; he liked the bright leafy greens, crisp cucumbers and red onions tossed in a simple Caesar dressing with tart lemon juice, spicy Dijon mustard, salty anchovies, and mild olive oil and topped with grated parmesan cheese. He and Mercedes practically inhaled the soup and salad, both murmuring to one another how good everything was.
"Even the water is awesome. It tastes so pure," Mercedes said, sipping the water.
Sam chuckled.
"Well, according to the menu, they only serve fresh water from the Dusk Hollow springs about 10 miles from here."
She finished her glass of water.
"That explains it."
Moments later, Jacque arrived again, with their main courses, and refilled their water glasses.
"Would you care for more wine?"
"No, thank you," Mercedes said, dabbing her mouth with the napkin.
"I'm good," Sam said, eyeing the plate of food that Jacque set before him, black grill marks were striped across the juicy, marinated porterhouse steak, the garlic mashed potatoes were creamy white with browned caramelized onions mixed in; and the grilled asparagus had black charred marks on the tips and thin, yellow parmesan flakes were generously sprinkled on top. He wanted to take a picture of it and post it on Facebook.
Mercedes pointed to his plate.
"That looks delicious."
"So does yours."
Her lamb chops were crisscrossed with black grill marks and dressed with white paper frills; the vibrant green sautéed spinach was delicately wilted with no traces of sogginess; and the thick squares of roasted purple beets were sprinkled with fresh rosemary and had a slightly glossy sheen.
"I'm so taking a picture of this," She said, getting her phone out of her purse.
"I was thinking the same thing," Sam said, laughing as they both snapped pictures; and then he pointed his phone at her, "There's another picture I want to take. Say cheese."
Mercedes smiled and he took a few pictures. Then he told her to stand up.
"Since I'm a typical male. I like full body shots."
Mercedes rolled her eyes and laughed. She stood up and posed like she was doing a photo shoot, putting her hand on her hip, and strutting like a runway model. Sam snapped a lot of pictures. Then he put his phone down on the table, stood up, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her.
"That's for being amazing," he whispered.
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"I've been having such a wonderful time and the night isn't even over."
"I am too."
"I'm taking your picture after we eat," she said sitting back down, "I can't let all your fineness go to waste."
"Yes that would be a crime," Sam said, winking at her, as he cut into his steak.
The main courses were even better than the soup and salad. His steak was grilled medium-rare and was tender and flavorful, the balsamic marinade and rosemary blended well together. The garlic-mashed potatoes were buttery and smooth and the caramelized onions were soft with a mild sweetness. The asparagus was grilled just right and he loved the sharp bite of the parmesan flakes. He and Mercedes ate off each other's plates and he sampled her lamp chops while she helped herself to his mashed potatoes.
Jacque returned just as they were finished eating.
"Could I interest you in dessert? Or coffee or tea perhaps?"
Sam glanced at his phone. It was 7:30. He looked at Mercedes.
"Sweetheart, we better get going," he said and turned to Jacques, "Could you do us a favor?"
"Certainly, sir."
"Would you take our picture?"
"Of course."
Sam handed his phone to Jacque and put his arm around Mercedes, holding her tightly against his side. Jacque smiled at them.
"Now, he said, "Snuggle up and say diamonds!"
"Diamonds?" Mercedes said, "Why?"
"It opens the mouth wider," Jacques said as if it were obvious. He took a few pictures of them, and handed the phone back to Sam, "If you don't need anything else, I will bring you your check."
"Thank you," Sam said.
Mercedes looked at herself in her compact mirror.
"Oh, Sam, my lipstick is smudged."
Sam shrugged.
"That's your fault for having lips that are so damn kissable."
Mercedes touched up her lipstick, and took their coats off the coat rack behind her, handing Sam his coat she said:
"Have you seen Our Town before?"
He shook his head.
"No, I never went to the theater much. I don't even know what it's about. I hope it's good."
"You didn't Google it?"
"Nah, I like being surprised. I take it you've seen it before," he said, helping her put on her coat.
"I have. I think you'll like it."
Jacque returned with the check and a small box of complimentary chocolate mints to take with them. Sam was thankful he had the income to afford a dinner like this. The Sir Walter Raleigh Inn was far from cheap. After he paid the check and left a hefty tip, because despite Jacque leering at Mercedes, he was a good, attentive waiter; he took his woman by the hand and they left the restaurant.
ooo
The Dusk Hollow Community Theater was much nicer than Sam anticipated. He remembered the old-timers reminiscing about how great the theater once was when it was first built in 1938, but it closed down in 1978, remaining an eyesore downtown, until recently when money was raised to rebuild it in its original Art Deco style. He liked the nautical theme of the theater, and upon entering, it had a cruise ship feel to it with its long dark wood hand rails, and the black curling lines on the rosewood ceiling; he also admired the blue, red, and green peacock and seashell designs on its walls and the carpet with its circular swirls of red, green, blue and brown, connecting together like ocean waves. The seats were light blue velvet, with rosewood backs and arm rests. He was able to get good seats in the second row orchestra section. Mercedes thought the theater was beautiful and took a few pictures.
"It reminds me of an old movie," she said, smiling at him.
He kissed her cheek.
"The architecture is pretty nice," he said.
Sam noticed her checking her phone, and was happy to see that his mother had faithfully sent hourly texts as promised. Mercedes let him know that Abby and the kids were having a slumber party in the family room and Rachel was making popcorn balls and vegan pizza.
"I'm so glad she's having fun. Carol said she's fine. They're watching Frozen now."
"Glad to hear it." Sam said, as the lights dimmed and the light blue velvet curtains on stage slowly opened.
"I hope you like it," Mercedes whispered.
Sam enjoyed the play. It was about a small town called Grover's Corners and the daily lives of its residents. No props were used on stage and when the characters performed chores, it was all pantomimed. Some of the characters were dead by the final third act, and were in the cemetery, looking down at the living, the character Emily in particular, touched Sam. After she died, she decided to re-live one day of her life, and chose her 12th birthday, despite the other dead people's warnings; when she re-lives the day, she sees how the living don't appreciate the simplistic beauty of life, so she returns to her grave angered by what she witnessed on earth. During Emily's good-bye monologue, Sam heard Mercedes recite it along with the actress on stage, word for word, in a hushed whisper, and the fact that she knew those beautiful words already, and the power of them, made him fall for her even harder. One of Emily's final lines, pierced Sam's heart, and spoken on Mercedes' lips, was even more touching.
Oh, earth, you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it - every, every minute?
He reached for Mercedes hand, holding it tight, and saw that she was crying too.
"That always gets me," she said, looking at him, as the tears streamed down her face, "That's what I aim to do every day."
Sam hugged her. He had no words. Only emotions ran through him.
The cast received a standing ovation. Sam was sure he and Mercedes clapped the loudest. As they walked back to the car, arms wrapped around each other, snow began to fall: white, crystal flakes, like tiny whispers landed on their coats. Mercedes held out her hand, letting them melt in her palm.
"I guess I'm going to have to find another way to capture tonight. It was perfect."
Sam stopped in the middle of the parking lot and kissed her, holding her beautiful face between his hands.
"You don't need any mementos from tonight. Physical objects would only spoil it. It's the feelings we have right now, here in this moment, that's what you carry with you. You can't put that in a box or a card, that's something in your heart, and it runs through your veins."
They kissed once more and then went to the car. When they got in and buckled up, Sam turned on the heat full blast. Mercedes shivered beside him, though her face was glowing.
"Thank you so much for tonight. It was incredible."
"You're welcome. I had a wonderful time too. And we'll have many more."
"You're very sure of this, aren't you, Samuel Hummel?"
"As sure as I am that the sky is blue and the grass is green."
They fell silent after that, watching the snowfall, as they drove along the long, narrow roads leading back to the house.
"Mercedes?"
"Yes?"
"You knew Emily's monologue word for word, how many times did you see that play?"
"I only saw it once before tonight."
"Once?"
"Yes, back in college with Aunt Josephine for my birthday. I was so touched that I bought the play and read it and memorized that monologue."
"You keep surprising me."
"Is that good?"
"Hell yeah, it's good, it's like taking a journey and finding all these cool places you'd never think were there. I'm loving this journey."
"Me too."
END NOTES: Thanks for reading and reviewing!