Lily, the Brave - By Katherine Hodges Page 0,58

to give everyone in the dressing room her opinion. They had never spent much on their outings, but they always had a really good time together and came back with some great finds. She missed those times. Lily folded the last of the outfits together and tried to fight the tears that were threatening to spill over, but she couldn’t. She should have been shopping with her mom on a shoestring budget; not buying half the inventory of a specialty boutique. She curled up in a chair in the corner of the large hotel suite. Maybe if her mother were still alive, she wouldn’t be in this mess right now. Life would be normal and she would be back at home snuggled up under a throw blanket for an “I Love Lucy” marathon with her mother. She sobbed a while longer before a voice in her head interrupted her. There wasn’t a buzzing before the voice like when she was hearing someone’s thoughts; it was the voice of what someone might call a conscience, or the voice within.

“But you might not have ever met Landon,” said the voice clearly and warmly. Something inside her told her this voice spoke the truth. She had lost her mother, which was a tragedy in her life that wounded her soul, but she had gained a friend. A boyfriend certainly couldn’t fill the hole her mother left in her life, which was clearly demonstrated on their recent shopping excursion, but he could be there for her and support her and love her. Lily hadn’t known him for long, but he was already special to her. She might not have had that if the situation had been different.

“If the accident had never happened, you might not become who you are meant to become,” the voice continued.

“Who am I meant to become,” Lily quietly asked the empty room.

“Your best self,” was the answer. Lily smiled through her tears at what she was now sure were the words of her mother.

***

Lily gazed at her reflection in the mirror. The girl that looked back at her was more beautiful than the last time she had seen her. Her dark chocolate hair was curled into bouncy waves that tousled softly over her shoulders and halfway down her back. Her face glowed and her deep brown eyes seemed warmer and larger than normal with the help of a few carefully selected cosmetics. Lily turned to the side and then to the other side to admire the silky charcoal grey dress. It sparkled as she twisted and turned in the bright bathroom light. It was far more modest than any other girl in her high school might have picked, but she loved it. The neckline scooped down in the front to the point that it was flattering, but not showing too much skin, and the hemline fell just below her knees. Lily liked the sleeves the best. They were gathered vertically and ended right above her elbow. The dress was fitted in all the right places and flattering on her figure. The color was exactly right for her. It was perfect. Lily took one final look before flipping the light in the bathroom off and leaving her room for the night.

***

“Wow, you look amazing,” Landon said to Lily as his jaw nearly hit the floor. At that moment he couldn’t think of any other girl in the world who was more beautiful. His mind was filled with Lily. He had almost been ready to go get her when he heard a soft knock on his door. Landon had planned on “picking her up” at her room, but she had beat him to it no thanks to his sleep-deprived teenage boy body. He had woken up only minutes earlier from an unplanned nap, so he had to make a mad dash to get dressed for the evening.

“Thanks,” she said curving her gorgeous lips into a smile. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” He tied and straightened the black striped tie that was already hanging around his neck. During their afternoon of shopping Landon had quickly picked out a black button up shirt, black slacks and a tie to match. Landon grabbed his room key from his jean’s pants pocket and put it into the pair of pants he was wearing. He held the thick door open for Lily and escorted her to meet his father for dinner.

Mr. Turner was already seated when they reached the French restaurant downstairs. He was dressed in