The Christmas Shoes

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The following Monday afternoon, Nora called Elise. "Hey Elise, if you aren't working next Saturday, could I pick up you and Silvia to spend lunch and the afternoon with me? I thought she and I could get ready together. I want to make sure you are there to approve of her appearance before her father picks us up."

"I think that sounds great. We'll be ready."

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Sandy peppered Nora with questions all week; most of which she couldn't answer or had answered several times already. While she was helping to chaperone for Silvia, she had to admit that maybe getting a dance with a handsome Daniel was rather appealing as well.

Finally, when Saturday arrived, she was practically giddy with excitement. She wanted to do something nice for her new friends.

After picking them up and taking them to a little bistro in Cary for lunch, she took them to a nearby salon to get a manicure, a pedicure and to get their hair done. Neither Elise nor Silvia protested too much upon arrival. They hadn't been to a salon before and planned to enjoy the experience.

While sitting in the mani/pedi chairs they began chatting about numerous topics, but mostly on the upcoming dinner and dance and what Silvia hoped would happen, which was mainly she wanted to dance with a specific someone. The someone wasn't a boyfriend, but a friend that she hoped would ask her to dance.

Fingernails and toenails were painted so they would look their best that evening. Even though Elise wasn't attending that evening's event, she enjoyed having her hair washed by someone else. For Silvia, Nora instructed the stylist how she wanted the wild, curly hair put into an updo, for the evening. When finished, both Elise and Silvia were stunned at the look. All of her unruly hair had been tamed into an elegant style that made her look like a polished young lady, rather than your average teen.

Finally, they had their makeup done and this is where Nora looked to Elise and asked, "Is a little makeup okay?"

"Not too much."

Nora nodded and told the artist what to do. "Just a little foundation, lipstick and small wings for her eyeliner."

Silvia replied, "Are you sure you cannot use more foundation or some concealer to hide my freckles. I'd love to not see them for a change."

Nora was aghast at that comment. "Why would you say that, Silvia? I love your freckles. I like to think that when God made the stars in the nighttime sky, he was actually trading little specks of night to put on your nose with your beautiful skin to make the nighttime sky beautiful. You should love your freckles because they make you unique and beautiful."

Silvia didn't know what to say. It was one of the nicest things anyone had said about her appearance. She, and the makeup artist, struggled to hold back their tears after hearing that. The artist thought, "that was so lovely. I think I'm going to use that on some of my future clients."

Everyone was pleased and excited on the drive to Nora's house. Partially for the evening and partially because they were eager to see her house, and for Nora to show it to them.

Nora had done well over the years and had flipped the previous houses in which she lived numerous times until she acquired her current house when a client needed to move quickly, and she made a low bid that he accepted. It was in a known neighborhood in north Cary that was very nice with homes that were about five years old. It had five large bedrooms, each with their own bath. The large in-law bedroom on the first floor was nice for when older family came to stay. The upstairs master was enormous with a huge bathroom and walk-in closet. The gourmet kitchen with large island and bar were impressive along with the glass-enclosed breakfast area with a long table that would be a perfect place for kids to do their homework or for a large family gathering. Gorgeous hardwood floors were everywhere. It was an impressive home.

Nora ushered her guests into the first-floor bedroom for Silvia to change, while she went and changed herself. When she returned downstairs, Elise and Silvia were sitting, waiting for her. Silvia gave her a questioning look, seeking her approval, and was not disappointed. Nora's smile glowed when she saw the young lady stand before her. In return, Elise could see the relief on Silvia's face. Nora walked around the girl, pretending to inspect.

They had selected a black, sleeveless, knee-length Ralph Lauren dress. It did look like something Audrey Hepburn would have worn. With her makeup, hose and heels, she looked perfectly elegant.

She said, "I think you just need one thing."

Silvia gave her a questioning look. Nora handed her a bag from Macy's and asked her to look inside. There was a small box inside, and when Silvia opened it, she saw a strand of princess length pearls, which were perfect for her dress.

Nora said, "They are freshwater, not saltwater, but they are real and look nice. Nobody will know the difference. I saw them while we were shopping and thought they would look perfect on you, tonight."

Silvia was overjoyed at the thought but said, "Nora, I love them, but they are too much." She looked at her grandmother for guidance.

"Trust me; they weren't much, and they perfect your ensemble. Besides, you can wear pearls with almost anything and they always bring a touch of class with them." The truth is that they weren't very expensive at all, because they were on sale for Valentine's Day.

Elise put them on her, and Silvia, who was already quite happy, positively glowed.

Silvia said, "I love your dress. Have you had it long?"

Nora replied, "I've had it for several years. Do you remember the Zac Posen dress you tried on? This is one of his, but I found it on sale. Whenever I need a classy black dress, I wear this one."

Nora's dress was a black, off-shoulder, midi-length dress, with cap shoulders and slim fit, which accentuated her slim frame. She hoped Daniel would like it.

Silvia remembered how expensive the other dress was that she tried on. She let out an audible "gulp." She asked, "Are those pearls? I've never seen any like that before. They are very pretty."

Nora touched her hand to her neck and said, "These are baroque Tahitian pearls, or black pearls. They aren't perfectly round like yours, but I always thought that gave them character. They weren't very expensive, either, but I don't get to wear them that often, unfortunately."

Silvia said, "My dad won't be able to take his eyes off of you tonight," which caused Nora to blush.

Elise was pretty sure that was the intent.

Nora said, "well, I imagine he's going to be keeping an eye on you, because I suspect the boys, or young men, will think you are very pretty."

"Thank you," replied Silvia.

Elise got them together to take several pictures with her phone and Nora and Silvia had her do the same with theirs.

When Daniel arrived to pick them up, freshly showered and shaved, wearing his nice suit, he was driving Elise's car instead of his truck. He had taken the time to ensure it was washed and cleaned prior to today. "No need for the ladies to have to climb up into his truck when he could use the car," he thought.

He was blown away by the large house at the end of the cul-de-sac in which Nora lived. It didn't surprise him too much given her occupation and business, but it was quite large and impressive from the street. He sighed thinking about how he would never be able to afford something like that and wondered if he could ever do anything for Nora that wouldn't be overshadowed by her own accomplishments. Given his ex-wife's behavior, and current debt-load, he wondered if he would always come up short in that area.

When he knocked on the front door, his expression changed, though, as he saw two beautifully dressed women waiting for him. Elise was smiling like a Cheshire cat watching him.

He was blown away by Silvia. His little girl didn't look so little. She hadn't developed a figure yet, but she looked like a thin adult, rather than a teenaged girl. "My God, you're beautiful, Silvia! You look amazing. Nora, the two of you did great. Just, ...wow!"

Nora told him, "Your looking rather dapper yourself, Daniel."

This caused Daniel to pause. He never considered himself ugly, but the whole episode with Janet and her new husband had definitely hit him hard; causing him to doubt himself. It was a nice compliment and one he really needed. "Thank you, Nora. I appreciate that, especially coming from someone as attractive and classy as yourself. I'll have two beautiful women on my arms tonight."

Elise let out a fake cough at that comment, so he followed up with, "Of course, I would have if Momma had joined me, too."

This raised a snicker from everyone.

More pictures were taken and then Elise hopped into an Uber to head home. Daniel drove them to the church, where he escorted the well-dressed ladies into the reception hall. Other church members were cooking lasagna and serving salads for those in attendance. There were about 30 youths in attendance and eight chaperones, including Daniel and Nora. The chaperones sat together, and the teens sat together. Nora accompanying Daniel, was noticed by everyone. All of Silvia's friends were 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over her dress and appearance.

The dinner was enjoyed by everyone, and Nora had fun at the 'adult' table. When the music started for the dancing, one of the adult couples stood up to get things started. They were joined by two older teens that were known to be dating.

Nora and Daniel kept an eye on Silvia and could see her regularly looking over at one of the boys' tables. Finally, she had enough and walked over to Silvia's table and whispered. "Is there someone you want to dance with?" Silvia nodded. Nora continued, "okay, here's what we are going to do."

After they concluded their whispering, Nora returned to her seat. Daniel asked, "Is she okay?"

Nora told him that she was but that they, including him, were about to engage in a little scheming.

A few minutes later, John, the young man Silvia wanted to dance with was shocked as he watched the attractive Nora walk straight up to him and ask him to dance. He stumbled, "Uh, Miss. I don't know how to dance."

Nora smiled at him and replied, "Don't worry. I'll show you."

He wasn't about to refuse an opportunity to hold hands with this woman, so he escorted her to the floor. By then more couples were up dancing, with one chaperone dancing with her son, and another set of teens dancing.

So as not to embarrass John, Nora led him a little away from the others, and she coached him into performing a basic box step and made sure he had one hand on her waist and another holding her hand. He was enjoying himself immensely. His friends, still sitting, were envious. Even with her heels, he was still an inch taller than Nora. Once into their rhythm, they had a nice chat.

Nora asked him, "Do you know Silvia Acosta?"

"Yes. She's one of my friends."

"Good. In a few minutes you are going to get a chance to dance with her. Can you do me a favor, please? When you are dancing with her, tell her how nice she looks. I don't care if you compliment her on her hair, her dress, her shoes or something else. I think she would appreciate a compliment from you. Me and her dad can tell her nice things all day long but coming from a guy would mean a lot to her, and to me."

"Everyone likes Silvia. We all feel bad for her because of her mom leaving the way she did. I'm surprised Silvia would need a compliment from me."

Nora responded, "Well, she shouldn't need it, but I know it would make her happy if it came from you."

"Okay. No problem. Thank you for showing me how to dance. There are probably several other guys that need lessons too."

Nora laughed inside at that because it was probably true. She didn't let John see the laugh and told him that she would see what she could do. A few minutes later, as expected, they heard a deep, "May I cut in?"

Daniel had been dancing with Silvia, and they used that moment to swap partners, as planned. Nora thanked John for the dance, and the two adults could see the nervous smile on Silvia's face as they eased away.

Daniel said, "I cannot believe I just arranged for my daughter to dance with a guy. I know it and dating and more are coming, but I'm not ready for it. She looks so wonderful; so grown up. My little girl isn't so little any more."

Nora let out a sigh, "That's true. She looks very nice tonight. I'll be surprised if she isn't asked to dance by at least one or two of the other boys."

Daniel snickered, "Nora, that isn't helping, me, the father, but thank you for everything. I know you've only been in her life for just over a week, but you've really meant a lot to her. She loves me and loves her grandmother, but she looks up to you. She thinks you 'hung the moon."

Nora expected that, but it was still a pleasant thing to hear. She said, "Truthfully. She's been good for me too. You and I haven't had an opportunity to talk much, so you don't know that I've had a bump or two in my road recently, so I've really enjoyed doing these few things with her. She's a wonderful girl. You've raised a wonderful girl. I know we didn't get off on the best foot, but to have inspired the kind of devotion she displayed towards you is commendable."

"I'm not sure how much of that is me, but thank you. It's true that you and I didn't have a good start, but I'm enjoying where we are now. You look almost as wonderful as you are a wonderful person, and that's saying something."

Nora's smile in response to him was electric. She squeezed his hand and kissed him on the cheek. She was enjoying her time with him. She enjoyed being a part of his family, a real family, even if it was only for a short time and it was a bit of pretend.

They watched as Silvia, who had learned how to dance while she took musical theater classes, taught John how to step and hold his hand for Silvia to do a twirl. A moment later they could see her smile beaming and Nora wondered if John had just given her a compliment. Silvia was having a grand time. Actually, both of the females that came with Daniel were.

It was a good night and considered a success by the chaperones, since everyone had at least one dance, though most had a lot more. Nora did give a couple of more lessons. They said their goodbyes and Daniel began the drive back to Nora's. Silvia was talking a mile a minute the entire drive until they turned into Nora's driveway.

Seeing the large home quickly brought the realization to everyone that while they enjoyed each other's company, they truly lived different lives. The two women desperately wanted to change that. Daniel did too, but didn't see how that was possible.

Once the car was parked, Nora waited for Daniel to get her door. As soon as he did, Silvia hopped out also and gave her a big hug. "Thank you, Nora. I would have been happy simply to go to the dance, but you made it very special."

"It was my pleasure, Sweetie. I hope we get to do it again some time." Nora pulled out her phone and tapped it a few times opening her garage door to enter her house.

Daniel escorted her in. "Thank you, again, Nora. I agree with Silvia. You made tonight very special and memorable. I'm sure there are a lot of young men that will remember you for a long time."

She took a chance by saying, "Well, I'm kind of hoping a certain one of them does and calls me to do it again."

This caught Daniel off guard, but he recovered quickly and replied, "I'd like that, too." He hesitated and began to turn towards the car, which disappointed Nora.

She said, "you know, you were holding me quite a bit this evening. Don't I even rate a hug or a kiss?"

Now he was embarrassed. He turned back to her and gazed at her for a minute trying to figure out his current situation. Finally, he said. "You really are beautiful." He gently took her hand and kissed it. Once kissed, he placed it up on his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her for a hug. She squeezed him back, tightly. As he was loosening his embrace, he kissed her on her neck and said. "Thank you, Nora. You're a special lady. You deserve better."

She wondered, "Better? Better than what?" She said, "Call me?"

"I will," he replied, though he wasn't really certain about when he would.

Their drive home was somber. It had been an exceptional day, but leaving Nora's seemed to signal their return to their daily struggle.

Silvia said, "She likes you, Dad."

His reply was, "humph."

Elise couldn't wait to hear all about it. Silvia told of how wonderful the whole day and night had been. The compliments she received as well as Daniel and Nora dancing some. Elise gave Daniel a questioning look. Silvia said, "Dad can't see that she's interested in him."

Maybe he was afraid to see it was more accurate.

Elise said, "Give him time, sweetie. He may come around, yet."

Everyone hoped so.

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At church the next morning, Sylvia's break out look received many comments. However, those were dwarfed by the questions regarding Daniel and Nora. All the adults that were there that evening told him how good and happy they looked together. They kept telling Daniel that they hoped she was nice, because he deserved someone nice in his life.

Daniel dismissed their comments as simply trying to matchmake.

Meanwhile, Nora went into her office missing her new friends and hoping they would call.

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On Wednesday of the following week, Daniel finally called. "Hey, Nora."

"Hey, yourself."

"I would like it if we could get together and do something?"

"I'd like that, too." She knew exactly what she wanted. She missed them. All of them. "Since you had me over to your house last time, could I invite all of you over to mine this time?" They both knew that Daniel wasn't the one that invited her to Elise's house.

"I think that would be great. How about Saturday? What time should we come over?"

Nora said, "In about twenty minutes."

That made Daniel smile, and Nora feel desperate. He replied, "be careful what you wish for, Nora."

That made her feel good the rest of the day. When Silvia got home from school, Nora called her to see if she and Elise would like to spend the night on Friday night and spend the day with her on Saturday. That way Daniel could work as much as he wanted on Friday and come over Saturday in time for dinner.

Silvia said she would ask her grandmother but thought they would have the green light.

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On Friday evening, as Nora prepared to leave the office, Sandy asked, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Nora told her, "It's what I've wanted my whole life."

Around 6:00pm, Elise and Silvia arrived, and Nora let them choose the takeout food to be delivered. She opened a bottle of wine for her and Elise and blended a big fruit smoothie and added ginger ale for Silvia. While waiting for the food, Nora showed them to their rooms. Elise was on the ground floor and Silvia in one of the guest bedrooms. Nora asked, "Silvia do you think your father could do to this room what he did to your room?"

Silvia responded, "I suppose so. He enjoyed doing it before." Then she laughed, "It took him a long time, though. He might be here a while."

Nora was liking the sound of that. She said, "I'd like for you to think about working with your dad to give this room a makeover. I'm serious."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. If you agree, we can discuss it with your dad tomorrow." Nora told her, "Once it's completed, it will be your room whenever you come visit." Silvia ran over and gave her a huge hug.

During and after dinner they binged on Audrey Hepburn movies - Breakfast at Tiffany's and Roman Holiday that night, and they planned to watch Funny Face, My Fair Lady, and How to Steal a Million sometime the next day. For dessert she had small tubs of ice cream from which they ate directly with their spoons. It was a lovely evening.