A little while later, Blair, Jo, Tootie, and Natalie were upstairs in their room. Blair is packing some stuff in a box.
"Blair, you can't really be leaving." Natalie said.
"We've had so many memories together here at Eastland." Blair looked at Natalie.
"Natalie, I've really enjoyed spending the last several years at Eastland with you and Tootie, and even the last year over the kitchen!" Blair glared at Jo, "but I have to get out into the real world some time. My mother and I are going to find a great school for me over summer break." Blair said. Tootie stopped and looked at her.
"Eastland isn't a good school?"Tootie asked.
"It was for the years I was here, but now I need to move on. Even my mother agrees." Blair stated.
"That's great Blair, but what about the rest of us?" Natalie asked.
"Nat, not all of us have the option to leave when the going gets tough." Jo said looking at Blair. Blair whirled around and glared at Jo.
"That's not something I appreciate Jo! I'm not leaving just because it might be difficult." Blair replied.
"Remember the first time your mother ever came to Eastland?" Natalie asked. Blair nodded.
"I was so excited for everybody to meet my mom. She was so sophisticated and worldly. All the girls loved her right away. Even Mrs. Garrett." Blair said with a sigh and turned to face Natalie.
"You remember when Mrs. Garrett was our housemother don't you?" Blair asked.
"Who could ever forget Mrs. G?" Jo questioned. Blair exhaled.
"I remember finding out that my mom had a date with a married man. I was so upset I told her I hoped I was never like her again." Blair said.
"Do you feel that way now?" Tootie asked. Blair leaned against the bedroom door.
"No, we have gotten to know each other. I had my first heart to heart with Mrs. Garrett that night I never will forget it.
(flashback)
Blair was sitting on the bed. Mrs. Garrett opened the door.
"Hi." Mrs. Garrett said.
"Oh Mrs. Garrett. I guess I'm in for a lecture." Blair stated.
"Me, lecture? Oh, I just want to take a well-earned break." Mrs. Garrett replied as she sat down in a chair across the room from Blair.
"Good, cause no one's changing my opinion of my mother." Blair said.
"Well I don't intend to. And I don't see anyone else around." Mrs. Garrett responded.
"I was right you know. She is having dinner with Mr. Branch. And whatever comes with dessert." Blair stated hastefully.
"Coffee, no doubt." Mrs. Garret replied. "Ahh."
"So you agree with me about my mother." Blair said.
"Oh no, no. I was just checkin' something' in this body language book." Mrs. Garrett replied.
"You don't believe that stuff do you?" Blair asked as she got up off the bed and walked over to Mrs. Garrett.
"Oh sure I do. Especially what it says about you on page 63." Mrs. Garrett said.
"Okay, what's it say about me on page 63?" Blair asked.
"Oh the way you have your arms folded. Kind of like a judge. You haven't sent anyone up the river lately have you?" Mrs. Garrett asked in the kind, caring Edna Garrett way. Blair unfolded her arms.
"My mother deserves to be judged. She's messed up a lot of lives. Including mine." Blair said. Blair walked from Mrs. Garrett to the bed.
"Oh Blair, your life isn't messed up. It's just begun." Mrs. Garrett pled.
"Sure. And all I have to do is watch my mother to see how I'm going to end up." Blair exasperated. "With affairs and broken marriages. My own daughter ashamed of me." Blair folder her arms again.
"May I approach the bench your honor?" Mrs. Garrett asked and walked over to Blair. "Okay, so we both know your mother is slightly flirtatious."
"That's like saying the Eiffel Tower is slightly tall." Blair combated.
"But you know honey. She's devoted to you. Not every mother took the time to come up here to see her daughter tonight. But she came here for you and for no other reason. You know Blair; I had to learn that loving someone doesn't mean just loving the parts you like. Loving means accepting the whole package, warts and all." Mrs. Garrett said wisely.
"If my mother ever had a wart, she'd sue Elizabeth Arden." Blair stated.
"And just because you're also talented and beautiful doesn't mean you're going to grow up just like your mother." Mrs. Garrett explained.
"Come on Mrs. Garrett, you said it yourself, the leaf never falls far from the tree." Blair commented.
"Oh, I did say that didn't I? Well, uh, well, uh, oh, uh, but I didn't tell you about the wind."
"The wind?" Blair asked.
"The wind. Very often, uh, uh, a gentle wind takes the leaf with the little seed attached and carries it high above the forest, until it lands on a sunny, bright hill. And then a strong new tree grows, that's maybe not quite as sappy as the tree it came from. Oh Blair, beauty doesn't have to be a curse." Mrs. Garrett laughed. "That's what I've always found."
"You could be right. My grandmother's beautiful and she's loved only my grandfather for fifty-two years. Of course he is loaded." Blair stated. Blair started to take her hair out of the pigtails.
"Hey, your body language says you're beginning to feel a little better about things." Mrs. Garrett said.
"How can you tell?" Blair asked.
"Oh, you're beginning to relax. Why you're even beginning to unclench your hair." Mrs. Garrett said. They both chuckle.
(Back to present)
There was a knock at the door.
"Girls?" Mrs. Garrett asked and opened the door.
"Thank you Mrs. Garrett." Blair hugged her.
"What's that for?" Mrs. Garrett asked.
"For being yourself and always giving us good advice, even if we don't think it is at the time." Blair said.
"Oh, well, I'll always do that." Mrs. Garrett responded with a smile.