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As though gravity had turned horizontal in the direction of the gorgeous creation, she was drawn towards it. A petite royal blue gown with an embellished shoulder strap runningdiagonally across the front, the full-length fabric fanning out from the waist. Without looking at the price tag, Cara carried the dress into the luxurious dressing room and stepped into it. As though made for her, it was a perfect fit, and as she turned side to side, admiring the radiant vision in the mirror, a tear escaped her eye. The only other time she’d felt like this was on her wedding day, and now, after years of jeans, tank tops, and comfortable shoes, she was instantly transformed into a beautiful woman.
Biting her lip at the price, she bought it and went straight home. She parked the car in the garage and eyed the large canvas painting she’d recently finished, resting against the wall. The cost of the dress could be counteracted if she managed to sell the artwork she’d titled ‘Cityscape,’ but she wasn’t sure if anyone would want it, or be prepared to pay a decent price for it.
‘Aren’t you going to show me your dress?’ asked Pete, as Cara smiled and walked straight past him through the kitchen, where he was making a mess with jars and bottles and saucepans.
‘Nope. You can wait until the ball, and no peeking, okay?’
‘Okay.’ He pouted. ‘Can you at least tell me what colour it is?’
‘Blue. And that’s all I’m saying.’ Cara stored the dress safely in her side of the wardrobe, covered by a protective slip, and walked back to Pete. She pulled him to her level and planted a big kiss on his lips.
‘Ooh, I’ll have to send you out shopping more often!’ He smiled, then popped a spoonful of something into her mouth. ‘What do you think? Nice, huh?’
Cara licked her lips. ‘Is this…’
‘White sauce, yes.’
‘It tastes just like the normal one. Is it really free of all the nasties for Toby?’
‘Sure is! I finally perfected it. Took almost as many tries as Edison did to make the light bulb, but it was worth it.’ Pete held up a bottle. ‘Think I might even bottle it up and sell it. There’s gotta be other people out there who would want it, I mean, Toby’s not the only person in the world with allergies.’
‘Hmmm, ‘Pete’s White Sauce’,’ proposed Cara.
‘Well, maybe something more exciting, likeWhite Delight, but that can be the working name. And look, I’ve tested it with different types of food. It goes well with chicken, salmon, and tuna.’ He popped another couple of spoonfuls into Cara’s mouth. ‘It can also be used as a sauce for a potato bake.’
‘It really is great, Pete, you’re such a better cook than me.’
‘Nah, it just takes practise. Like learning CPR.’
‘So how do you go about selling it?’
‘I’ll talk to my parents, they sell a few products in their restaurant so they should be able to tell me where to start, although the process is probably different in Australia. Who knows, this could be the start of something big!’
The Collins family enjoyed a meal out together that night, followed by a drive around town, spying on the Christmas tree lights emanating from other people’s homes. Although some homes were yet to join in the festive ambience, many had lights visible through their curtains, and some had gone all out; rooftop decorations of sleighs and reindeer, and fairy lights in trees on their front lawn.
‘Look! That is the beautifulest one I’ve seen,’ Lily kept saying, until she’d see the next one and say the same thing.
‘How many have we seen so far?’ Cara turned to ask the kids.
Jacob tried to count with his fingers, but Lily beat him to it. ‘Seventeen! Well, seventeen and ahalfif you count the wreath on that house back there.’
Toby swung his legs back and forth in the car seat, happily chewing on a rice cracker. ‘Santa!’ He pointed to an inflated Santa attached to the chimney of someone’s roof.
‘Mum, how does Santa deliver all the toys in one night? It’s mathematically impossible,’ asked Lily, who seemed to have jumped a few years ahead in age since her eighth birthday.
Cara and Pete exchanged glances. ‘Umm, it’s all magic, sweetie.’
‘Oh, okay.’ Lily seemed satisfied, but Cara looked knowingly at Pete, realising in the next year or two they’d have to reveal the big lie, unless Lily discovered it herself somehow. She was good at finding out the truth about everything.
‘Mum, I’d really like a little sister. Are you going to have another baby soon?’
Damn.Trust Lily to bring up the topic they still hadn’t fully resolved.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Life Makeover Principle #10:
Have PATIENCE. Nature never rushes yet accomplishes everything it desires.
