Lone Star Family Values

Chapter 28

Always a Family

"Grace can you help me with my hair, I'm failing miserably." Bailey said, shuffling out of the bathroom in her shorts and t-shirt, her hair half held up with her right hand while she held a comb in her left.

            Grace looked up from her computer and laughed a bit, motioning for Bailey to come closer.

"I thought I could do it on my own but I think I just tied it into a knot instead." Bailey said.

            Grace stood and inspected the teen's attempt at the hairdo. She hadn't done too horribly but she had created a sufficiently impressive mess.

"I wouldn't go as far as to say a knot but you've created quite the mess," Grace laughed. "Come back into my bathroom and I'll help you out. Do you have a picture of what you were trying to do?"

"Yeah." Bailey said pulling up the photo and showing it to Grace.

            Grace smiled inspecting the photo.

"I think I can manage that." She said.

            Together Grace and Bailey sat in the bathroom, Grace twisting and looping Bailey's hair into the half up half down bow. Bailey's hands were twisting in her lap, nerves starting to build about the night to come.

"Any particular reason your wringing your hands like towels, hun?" Grace asked.

            Bailey bit the inside of her cheek.

"I'm nervous about tonight." She admitted.

"Why? The hard part's over isn't it. You made it into the exhibit." Grace said, pulling the last few strands of Bailey's hair into place.

            Bailey shrugged.

"I didn't tell dad and papá but each of the participants have to talk about why they painted what they did," Bailey said. "I'm not all that great at talking in front of people."

            Grace nodded and moved in front of Bailey, kneeling down so that she could meet the teen's eyes.

"Have you written what you want to say?" She asked.

"Yeah," Bailey said looking down at her lap. "But it's not very good."

"You're gonna be fine. You're not only talented with a brush Bailey," Grace said, catching Bailey's chin with her finger and bringing it up so that she was looking Grace in the eye. "You have a way with words too. When the time comes, you'll know what to say."

            Bailey nodded.

"Has anybody ever asked you to define something that you've spent your whole life thinking you'd lost?" She asked.

"I can't say that they have." Grace said.

            Bailey nodded.

"Yeah," She breathed. "That's kind of where I am."

            Grace looked at Bailey for a moment but the look in Bailey's eye told Grace not to push the matter.

"How about we finish getting you ready. Your dads will be here soon to pick you up." Grace said.

            It took Bailey a while to finish getting ready, putting on her makeup and taking her dress out of the garment bag. Marjan and Grace had been thrilled when Bailey asked them if they'd help her find something for the event. They'd spent days hopping from store to store, TK and Carlos started expecting the women on their doorstep every Saturday and Sunday morning for a number of weeks before they came home with a dress in hand. She had only just fastened her bracelet around her wrist when there was a knock on her door.