The Art of Healing

Chapter 7

Willow stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom, smoothing the shirt she was wearing over her stomach and turning to see how it looked at different angles. She titled her head and studied her reflection in deep thought. Her bedroom behind her was full of clothes that had been tried on and discarded and as she looked at the mess she huffed in exasperation. Nothing seemed to be what she wanted to wear on this outing and she was angry at herself for putting this much effort in. She felt like a teenage girl, when she was in fact, 21 and more mature than most. She reminded herself that this wasn't a date, Lane just said he wanted to get to know her. She blushed at the memory of the awkward moment between them the day before, but smiled at how Lane had stumbled through his question and his very genuine indignation at the thought of the question being a dare.

"Mommy? What you doing?" Willow turned to smile down at Harper who had come into the room and by Willow's leg, watching her in the mirror. She bent down and scooped Harper up.

"Mommy's trying to figure out what to wear to go out for supper tonight." She explained, but Harper had already lost interest and was playing with the necklace Willow had around her neck. Willow smiled and pressed a soft kiss on the top of Harper's head.

"Do you want help?" Suddenly Maggie, Grace's oldest daughter and Harper's new part time babysitter, appeared around the doorway. Willow blushed in response and ducked her head.

"Maybe if you wouldn't mind." She mumbled shyly. Maggie was 18 years old and gorgeous. She looked like her mom, but her brown hair fell down her back, almost reaching her waist, and was thick and healthy. She had laughing blue eyes, clear skin, and was petite and skinny. She was also someone who always dressed in the latest fashions and was the kind of girl Willow had avoided at all costs in high school, even though she seemed sweet.

"Of course not." Maggie wasted no time, in stepping in the room and starting to go through the discarded piles of clothes on the bed. Willow was surprised when Grace had said that Maggie could babysit for her tonight. Since Grace had told Lane that Willow got off hours earlier than she actually did, she had assumed Maggie would have to help Grace in the cafe, but Grace had assured her that her and her other daughter Alice would do just fine without the both of them. Willow was thankful, but had her suspicions that Grace was trying to play matchmaker, and she knew the older woman would just end up being disappointed in the end.

"Pretty." Harper had finished playing with Willow's necklace and moved up to her hair. She pulled on the curled strands and giggled. Willow smiled with her but gently removed her hand.

"Be gentle Harper." She reminded and the little girl started pouting and squirmed to get down. After her letting her down and watching her run to the living room, Willow turned back to see Maggie holding up an outfit.

"This is perfect. It's casual but cute enough for a fancier restaurant too and the shirt will bring out your eyes." Willow accepted the outfit with a quiet thanks and Maggie left the room to let her change. Willow slid into the pair of black skinny jeans that Maggie had picked and then pulled on the dark green long sleeve shirt. The shirt was made of a blouse material and had a higher neck. The shirt itself was more tight fitting, and the arms were loose and flowy, made in the boho western style with sleeves that were open and hung down in a bell shape. It was something her sister had picked out for her, but that Willow had never worn. She had to admit the outfit looked good, but she turned to see it from the back and wrinkled her nose at the way the shirt clung to the rolls on her back. Maggie appeared again at the doorway as she was doing this, and Willow caught her eyes in the mirror and blushed.

"I don't know. Isn't it too tight?" She asked, feeling her cheeks turning bright red. She waited for harsh words about loosing weight or how the shirt clung in places, but they never came and she realized that it was something her mother would have told her. Maggie on the other hand was shaking her head.