“And how will you spend your evening, lass?” he asked. “Any special plans?”
“Grandpa, don’t you remember I told you…” She paused. Something was wrong. Every time she’d talked to her grandfather during the past week, he had asked her about the dance. So why was he…? Her eyes narrowed in on the pink dress. “Grandpa, did you send me something today?”
“Och, aye, lass!” he shouted excitedly. “So it arrived?”
“She got it, then?” Deidre said, clear enough for Maggie to hear. “And does it fit?”
Maggie plopped down on the couch, speechless.
“Are you there, lass?”
“Did she hang up?”
“I’m here,” she whispered. “Grandpa, why? You know I don’t dance anymore.”
“That’s just something you tell yourself, lass,” he said softly. “For protection.”
She blinked at his words, but before she could respond, Deidre grabbed the phone. “Now, don’t blame your grandpa for speaking out of school, but I’ve heard a thing or two about a thing or two.”
Maggie smiled indulgently as Deidre made her point. “I’ll tell you a secret, Maggie. I still have the picture of you and Connor at your high school prom. Such a pretty pair, you were. You danced all night and I know you loved it. You love to dance, Maggie. I don’t know why or how you decided to stop loving it, but maybe you should decide to start again.”
“Is it that simple?” Maggie wondered aloud.
“Most things are,” Deidre said philosophically. “And as long as I’m giving out free advice, I think it’s high time you closed the door on the past and started living in the now. Live for yourself. Choose for yourself, Maggie. Now here’s your grandpa.”
Choose for herself? Maggie stared at the telephone and began to pace back and forth across the room. Choose for herself? But every time she’d made choices, she’d made mistakes.
But so what? she argued. Was she never supposed to do anything fun or risky, ever again? She might as well live in a glass bubble!
But making choices was the same as taking risks, and taking risks meant that she might get hurt. Or worse.
But if she didn’t take the risk, if she didn’t go to the dance, she knew she would hurt much worse. And Connor would be hurt, as well.
So it seemed she had no choice.
Oh, good grief! Of course she had a choice. She could choose to go to the dance and have fun with Connor.
Exhausted from arguing with herself, Maggie slid down onto the couch.
Angus came back on the line. “No more guff now, lass. Tell me, do you like the dress?”
“It’s beautiful, Grandpa, but you can’t afford to—”
“Och, there’ll be none o’ that,” he argued. “I’ve a little something tucked away for a rainy day, and Deidre chipped in a bit.”
“I’ll pay you both back.”
“You’ll not pay us back,” Grandpa grumbled.