Three days came and went after my complete emotional breakdown, and I still grieved. My parents looked on me with worried eyes. Missy threatened to call in her psychiatrist. Dana spent her time riddled with guilt over telling me the ominous news about Heath. Kelly looked almost as bad as I did, but her eyes were blood shot from reading old documents, and her circles were from long nights of research. She was looking for more information on Jacob and Claire, but I couldn’t find the strength to care.
My pain was too great and selfish. Thankfully, Sam was his normal happy self. He had that cocoon of childhood innocence which sheltered him from my emotional upheaval. When he asked, I just told him that I was tired. He smiled and said “So go to bed.” It had become our joke. At night sleep eluded me; my light burned long into the early hours of morning. Alone in the darkness or in a fitful sleep, the pain of grief would again hit me in full measure. It was more than I could stand. I woke from these moments curled in a ball with tears streaming down my face. As I lay in my bed coming awake, the pain of loss slowly ebbed until it was but a shadow in my heart. But the memory of it stayed to haunt me.
I was walking the Alpha trail at the preserve checking on the animals when my cell phone chimed. I pulled it out and saw that Kelly was calling. I answered with trepidation, hoping for no more bad news. “Kelly, how are you?”
Kelly snorted, “Better than you, but I must look terrible because people keep giving me cards for the women’s abuse hotline.”
I rolled my eyes, “I would laugh about that if I could find the energy. Have you been sleeping?”
Kelly was quiet, so I broke the silence, “Kelly, are you all right?’
I heard a sigh on the line, and then she spoke. “Miranda, I am so far from all right that I don’t know what to do.”
I rubbed a hand over my heart, “I understand. What can I do?”
I could see Kelly in my mind as she shook her head. “There is nothing you can do. Just like I know there is little that I can do for you. But I would very much like to ask a favor of you.”
I sniffled, “You can ask me anything, Kel.”
“Good.” Kelly took a deep breath “Because this is a big one, I need a date for the Charity Ball.”
I was a bit confused now. “You want me to find you an escort?”
Now Kelly did chuckle. “Not hardly. I don’t want to see a man unless somehow it’s….” Her voice trailed off, but I knew who she wanted to see and the impossibility of it broke my heart and hers. Then she was back on the line. “What I want is for my new best friend and soul sister to come with me for support.”
I tried to be glib. “Um..do I know her?”
“Sure, Silly. Fine, I’ll come right out and ask. Will you be my date for the Charity ball?”
I pretended to think about it. “Sure. I guess I can fit you in my busy schedule. When, where, and what do I wear?”
Kelly’s spirits perked up. A party would do us both good. “The ball is at the Balleystone Hotel on Saturday night. It starts at 8:00. As far as what you should wear, I would say the most kick ass, sexy dress that you can find. That’s what I am wearing, that is as soon as I find one.”
I laughed at her antics. “Well, I guess I will have to go shopping too because I have nothing that fits that description. How about we go shopping for a dress tomorrow after work?”
“That sounds great, Miranda. We can hit all the hip little boutiques downtown. Can you meet me here at the Historical Society, and then we can walk to the stores and not have to fight the traffic?”
I smiled my first real smile in days. “Sounds great. I’ll see if my mother can watch Sam a little later on Friday and then on Saturday night for me. I’m pretty sure she’ll be thrilled. She has been a bit worried about me lately for some reason.”
Kelly snorted loudly. “Don’t try sarcasm on me. I know just what your mom has been thinking because my mom is about ready to have me committed or sent to a health spa for a few weeks. She’s not sure if I’m crazy, sick, or just tired. I think they all have me on suicide watch because someone checks on me every hour on the hour. I love them, but I wish they would all stay out of this.”
“I know, Kelly, but if they ignored our pain, we would not love them, and they would not love us, right.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Anyway, I’ve got to go. I have to take some portraits over to the Balleystone to hang in the ballroom for the gala. I’ll see you tomorrow about six.”
“Great, see you then,” I said and we signed off. I continued my trek through the woods and felt my spirits buoyed for the first time since this mess began. I was going to a party in a new fancy dress. For one night, it would be nice to just be a young, vibrant woman again and nothing more. Who knows? Maybe I would even meet prince charming.