Page 2 of Falling for Ash
Why was this happening to her?
The moment of self-pity made her feel terrible, and Gabby quickly asked God for forgiveness. There were so many suffering in the world right now. People with families and incurable illnesses. She should not whine or complain. Not when she had it so good, relatively speaking.
Her old room at Mim’s was remarkable. Twice the size of the apartment she’d been living in. Hermosa Beach was a great place to live. Always sunny and warm, even if she felt chilled most of the time.
She knew people who weighed success by how much money you made or how thin you were, or who you were dating. Heck, the tuition at the preschool where she’d last worked had cost more per annum than her yearly college tuition. Certainly more than they paid their staff.
It was insanity. But Gabby didn’t care about money. Or the size of her waist. Not really.
She just wanted to be healthy and to enjoy her life. Even if she was destined to be alone. Gabby had her work. She loved teaching children. The little cuties went straight to Gabby’s soft heart. She simply adored kids. Once upon a time, she couldn’t wait to have her own brood.
Sigh.
Her hand went over her abdomen as the tension she’d felt all day squeezed hard in that moment. Darn it. She’d always thought she had more time.
Doubts assailed her, and she frowned, tapping the notebook with her short fingernails.
There was no reason to be morbid, was there?
After all, she did not know if she really was sick.
Gabby wanted to cry at the wastefulness of it all. She really wanted kids one day. With no prospects for potential fathers, and no assurances she was healthy enough to have them, the future was not looking all that bright for her.
Wasn’t that a depressing thought?
Long sigh.
“Hello...” Gabby clicked the little green symbol, and spoke into her smartphone.
“Gabby? It’s Mim,” the familiar voice crooned.
“Hey, where are you?”
“I’m stuck in town and was wondering if you could meet me for dinner?”
“Mim, it’s already seven, and I have to teach a class tomorrow.”
“Oh, come on! It will be fun,” her stepmother replied.
Gabby looked at the time display on the microwave. She had been planning to heat a frozen burrito, but dinner with Mim sounded way better than that. Still, driving at this time of night, even if it was only Wednesday, would take over an hour to get anywhere near LA.
Errrrr.
“Okay, fine,” she said, after weighing the pros and cons of it. “Text me the address, okay?”
“Doing it now! And be sure to look nice, Gabs.”
“I will, Mim,” she returned, rolling her eyes.
As a realtor, Mim had a reputation to uphold, and the perfectly poised five foot ten inch blonde never had a hair out of place. Of course, Gabby, with her much shorter, curvier stature, had to work a bit harder at it, she always managed to clean up nicely. Years of learning how to shop for clothes that flattered her fuller figure and complimented her attributes at hand.
The trials of my youth! Lol.
Truth was, she preferred loose, comfortable clothing, but she’d dress up for her stepmother. She owed Mim that much. Hurrying to her closet, Gabby pulled out a simple black dress. The kind inspired by Hollywood starlets from the golden age. She grabbed a pair of sling-back heels to go with it, and her full coverage granny panties in an effort to hold in her bulge.
Gabby dressed quickly. She brushed her wavy hair until it looked soft and flowy, adding a little gloss to the ends. The tresses curled around her shoulders, and she noted her natural highlights were a shiny pale gold against the darker chestnut locks.
She used a little mascara and lipstick, and some light powder on her nose and forehead. Gabby had always hated the feel of cosmetics, despite Mim’s attempts to get her to wear them. This was a happy compromise.
