Portrait of Love

by Debby Mayne

  “Please eat healthy,” her mother said. “I don’t want you to wind up like me. Between the high-fat food and worry, I’m afraid I’ve been a bad example.”

  Mandy stroked her mother’s hair. “You’ve been a wonderful mother. But you do need to stop worrying about Christina and me. We’re adults now. You’ve done your job.”

  “I know.” Her mother smiled and reached up to take Mandy’s hand. “It’s just so hard, though, to turn off what I’ve been doing for twenty-some years.”

  “Now that Christina has a job, there’s nothing left to worry about. She said she wants to live with you and Dad for a while so she can help out until you get your health back. And you know where I am.”

  Her mother nodded and smiled as tears sprang to her eyes. “I’m so blessed.”

  “Our whole family is,” Mandy said.

  “I’m glad Christina’s back. When she left, I felt like my heart would break in two.”

  Mandy stilled as she remembered Christina expressing guilt over causing their mother’s heart attack. “Did you tell her that?”

  “I was so upset, I probably did.” A stricken look came over her face. “You don’t think she’s blaming herself for what happened to me, do you?”

  Bingo. “Don’t worry about that now. Just do whatever it takes to get better. But no more health secrets, okay?”

  Her mother nodded. “I’ll talk to her.”

  Mandy gave her another hug. “I have to go to work today, but Tony’s encouraging me to take some time off to spend with you.”

  “I don’t want you to risk your job for me.”

  “Don’t be silly, Mom. I wouldn’t want to work for a company where they didn’t value family.”

  Her mother smiled. “Christina says Tony’s a very sweet man.”

  Mandy felt heat rise to her cheeks as her mother studied her. “He is nice.”

  “So do you like him?”

  “He’s a very good boss.”

  “You know what I mean, Mandy. Christina thinks he’s interested in you.”

  Mandy tried hard not to smile. “Don’t pay any attention to that. He’s a very nice, caring boss who knows he needs to treat his employees well to keep them happy.”

  “I don’t want you missing out on an opportunity to find love, Mandy. Even if he is your boss.”

  Mandy forced a laugh. “That’s just it. Because he’s my boss, I need to respect him as my supervisor. Period.”

  “Okay, okay, I hear you. Just don’t ever put a job ahead of true love.”

  “I love you, Mom.” Mandy bent over to kiss her mother on the cheek then backed away. “If you need me, just call or tell Dad to call me, and I’ll be here.”

  Her mother lifted a hand and wiggled her fingers in a wave before turning to face the window on the other side of the room. Mandy left the hospital room and nearly collided with her sister as she rounded the corner to the elevator.

  “How’s Mom?” Christina asked.

  Mandy grabbed her sister by the arm and steered her toward the waiting area. “I want to make sure you understand that you had nothing to do with Mom’s heart attack.”

  “What made you say that?”

  “She said she told you that her heart would break if you left. You do realize that’s a figure of speech, right?”

  Christina’s shoulders sagged as she expelled a breath. “I don’t know. It seems like everything I’ve ever done has upset Mom and Dad. Back in high school, when I made cheerleader, Mom got frustrated over my uniform.”

  “That’s because you didn’t tell her you needed it until the weekend before the first game.”

  “She should have figured it out, since I made the squad. Then there was the play when I needed to color my hair purple.”

  Mandy laughed at the memory. “Well, I have to admit, it did look permanent. You should have told us you were doing a temporary rinse.”

  “See?” Christina lifted her hands then dropped them, slapping her sides. “You would have known all that stuff. I’ve just been such a loser all my life.”

  “You are not a loser. You’ve had so many things going on, you forgot to communicate.” Mandy put her arm around Christina and hugged her. “You were very busy back in high school, but that was then. Now you’re all grown up, and you’re about to start a wonderful career.”

  “What if I mess up on the job?” Christina asked. “It’ll be hard if they expect me to measure up to you.”

  “Don’t worry about that. Tony’s a very smart man who knows we’re two separate, very different people.”

  “I hope so. I sure don’t want to disappoint another person.”

  Mandy gently turned her sister toward their mother’s hospital room and gave her a little push. “Go see Mom. I have to go to work so I can relieve you next week. Tony’s been working on a training program for you.”

  “I’ll try to make you proud, Mandy.” Her eyebrows went up as she reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Oh, I almost forgot. I went to a consignment shop, and they sold some of my LA clothes that I couldn’t use here, and now I can pay you back for the plane ticket.”

  “You don’t have to pay me right now if you need the money for new clothes,” Mandy said.

  Christina firmly handed it to her. “Yes, I do. It’s part of my growing up and taking responsibility.”

  Mandy thought about her need to let go and stop trying to mother her sister. She put the envelope into her purse. “Thank you, Christina. I’m really proud of you.”

  ❧

  Tony had just walked out of the back part of the studio when Mandy walked in. “How’s your mom?”

  “She’s doing much better. They’re releasing her on Monday.”

  “Good. I’ll call Steve to come in.” As he talked, he noticed Mandy’s look of concern. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She cleared her throat.

  He’d been around her enough to know better. “If you need to talk, I’m all ears. I might not know how to fix whatever the problem is, but I can at least listen.”

  “Thanks.” Mandy headed off down the hall to the office where she kept her handbag then came out, brushing her hands together. “I’m ready to work.”

  He chuckled. “I can tell.” He started to go into his office, until he heard her clear her throat, so he turned around to see her looking at him.

  “Tony?”

  “Yes?” As they held their gaze, everything else around them seemed insignificant. “Did you need something?”

  “Thank you for hiring my sister.”

  Tony sat back as she paused. “You don’t have to thank me.”

  “No one realized how smart she was, but I knew. It’s not that easy being so popular and juggling such a busy schedule.”

  “I can imagine,” Tony said. “Somehow you did just fine.”

  “We hung out in different circles. Mom and Dad always thought of her as the fragile sister, while I was sturdy and capable. Then when she informed us that she was leaving for Hollywood without a single prospect for a job, Mom and Dad hit the roof.”

  “Must have been rough on them.” He’d already figured most of this out, but Mandy obviously needed to talk.

  Mandy nodded. “Oh, it was very rough. They called me every day after she first left, wondering if I’d heard from her. Most of the time, I hadn’t. So I started calling her. She was always in a hurry and needed to go.”

  Tony nodded. “I remember being her age—too busy for people who cared the most. But I bet you never felt that way.”

  “I did, but I never had the nerve to act on it or say what Christina said.” She paused. “When she finally called and said she was stranded, I have to admit I was annoyed.”

  “Understandable.”

  “But I wasn’t about to leave her in a lurch. I had some hard feelings about her expecting everyone to drop everything, but once she got home, I realized that was my problem, not hers. She was just finished testing her wings, and now she was ready to come hom
e.”

  “So how do you feel about her working here?”

  “That’s what I’m getting at. I have no doubt my sister can do a fabulous job, once she gets into it.”

  “With you as her trainer, she’ll be an excellent photographer.”

  Mandy smiled. “Thank you. I hope you’re right.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short, Mandy,” Tony said. “You’re an amazing woman.”

  He waited for her to say something, but she just stood there.

  “I appreciate you telling me all this. I know how difficult it must have been for you.”

  “It was extremely hard,” she agreed as she stood. “I need to set up the studio for my next customers now.”

  After she left the office, Tony prayed that he’d be able to do whatever it took to bring out the best in both of the Pruitt sisters.

  At the end of the busy afternoon, Mandy stopped by his office, where he was putting the final changes in Christina’s training manual. “Thanks for listening, Tony. I wanted to make sure you understood that my sister and I are completely different.”

  “You made your point, but I already figured that out.” And he admired Mandy now, more than ever.

  “Thanks.”

  Tony shut down the computer, while Mandy got her personal belongings from the other office. They met in the reception area as they were about to leave for the day.

  “Wanna do something tonight?”

  She stopped and turned to face him. “Do something?”

  He lifted a shoulder and tried to appear casual. “Yeah, like go out or—I don’t know—eat dinner and maybe take in a movie.”

  The slow smile that spread across her face warmed his heart. “Yes, I’d like that.”

  “I’ll pick you up in an hour, okay?”

  “Sounds good.”

  ❧

  The evening was delightful and would have been even better if Tony had gotten the nerve to kiss her good night at her door. But instead, he stood there, shuffling his feet, telling her how much he appreciated working with her. This was the first time in his life he hadn’t known what to say to a woman he cared about. But it was also his first time to go out with someone he worked with. Finally, he just reached up and squeezed her shoulder.

  “I had a nice time,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Want me to pick you up for church in the morning?”

  She looked directly up at him and nodded. “Sure.”

  ❧

  The next morning, Mandy stared straight ahead as the pastor delivered his sermon. Her sister sat on one side of her, and Tony was on the other side. It felt right.

  Tony escorted both of them to the parking lot, where he turned to Christina. “Mandy and I are going to lunch. Would you like to join us?”

  Christina lifted an eyebrow and glanced back and forth between them then grinned and slowly shook her head. “Nah, I don’t think so. I’ll go hang out at the hospital and give Dad a break.”

  “We won’t be long,” Mandy said quickly. “As soon as I get back, I’ll join you.”

  Christina touched Mandy’s arm and snorted. “No, go have some fun. Your work will be cut out for you once I start at Small World.”

  On their way to the car, Tony leaned over and whispered, “Your sister is very smart and funny.”

  Mandy nodded. “Where are we going?”

  “I wanted to go to Figaretti’s, but they don’t open until four. Where would you like to eat?”

  “Why don’t we go across the bridge to Ohio Valley Mall? I’m sure we’ll find something there.”

  “Great idea. We’ve been thinking about putting a studio in that mall, so I can check it out.”

  thirteen

  Mandy got to the studio before anyone else on Monday morning. She promised her dad and sister she’d be at the hospital when her mother was released at ten o’clock, but she wanted to make sure everything she’d scheduled at work was in order.

  Tony arrived fifteen minutes later. “I didn’t think you were coming in today.”

  “The Phillips twins have the first appointment, and they’re rather difficult.” She arranged some of the props on the table by the camera. “Jonathan likes the monkey, and Jason always tries to take it away from him, even though he’s more interested in the model cars.” She held one up to demonstrate her point.

  “Mandy!” Tony crossed the room and took the model car from her then set it down on the table.

  “Sorry. I know you can handle them. It’s just that—well, I don’t want anyone to struggle.”

  “I know you don’t.” Tony pointed to the stool behind her, then he pulled one up and sat down. “Listen. You’re going into management soon, and that means you’ll have to delegate. If you try to do it all yourself, you’ll go crazy, not to mention the fact that you’ll wind up building weakness in your trainees.”

  She pondered that for a moment. “I didn’t think about it that way.”

  “I understand. In fact, when I read over the management training stuff for Uncle Edward, I realized how important it was to back away at some point and let people practice what you taught them.”

  Mandy knew he was right. “Okay, here’s my bag of tricks. If one toy doesn’t work, try another until you hit on something that keeps the kids’ attention.”

  He laughed and stood up. “Attagirl. Now go help your family. If you need me, I’ll be glad to do what I can. Steve will be here around noon, and Bella said she’s ready to take on more hours.”

  “Thanks, Tony.” She started toward the door then stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot. Christina said she could start this afternoon if you want her to.”

  “I think tomorrow morning will be soon enough. I’ll have all her books ready in the office. The first thing I want to teach her is how to answer the phone and deal with walk-ins.”

  Mandy turned to leave but stopped and smiled at Tony. “Thanks for lunch yesterday. I had fun.”

  “Me, too,” he said. “I think Ohio Valley Mall is the perfect place for a Small World Portrait Studio. In fact, we’re considering relocating this one if the rent keeps going up on Market Street.”

  “I’d hate to shut this place down.”

  “But then again, we might not. We like it here, too, and you’ve built a nice base of steady customers.”

  “Good. I guess it’s time to go now.”

  Tony laughed. “Yes, I guess it is. Now scoot.”

  When Mandy arrived at the hospital, she headed straight for the elevator. The door opened on the second floor, and she saw her sister and dad standing outside her mother’s room, talking.

  “What’s going on?” she asked as she approached them.

  “The doctor got here early,” her dad said. “They’re getting her ready to leave, so we should be out of here in a few minutes.”

  Mandy let out a sigh of relief. Her sister arched an eyebrow and gave her a once-over. “Are you okay?”

  “Sure, I’m fine.” Mandy self-consciously ran her hands down the front of her blouse and pants. “Why?”

  “You just look—well, different.” Christina tilted her head and grinned.

  “Hey, y’all, they’re letting me go home. Finally!”

  All heads turned to Mandy’s mother as the nursing assistant wheeled her out of the room. “I’ll wheel her down to the lobby. If you can pull your car up to the loading area, I’ll help her in.”

  Mandy and Christina stayed behind while their dad went to get the car. Their mother wore a huge smile. “I can’t believe I’m finally able to go home and sleep in my own bed.”

  “Don’t you like the service here?” the assistant teased.

  “It’s great if you like getting prodded, pinched, and awakened at all hours of the day and night.” She snorted. “The night nurse woke me up to see if I needed a sleeping pill.”

  Mandy laughed. “It can’t be that bad.”

  “You’re right,” her mother agreed. “But I do miss my own bed.”

  Chri
stina winked at Mandy. “I went through the cupboards and fridge and got rid of all the cookies, ice cream, and other unhealthy foods, just like you told me to.”

  Their mother groaned. “Looks like I’ll have some adjusting to do, but at least I have someone to help me through it.”

  By the time they got her home, she was out of breath. “Easy does it,” their dad said as he lifted her and carefully placed her on the sofa.

  “I’m not an invalid,” she said. “I can walk.”

  “I know,” he replied. “But let me spoil you a little bit. It makes me feel good.”

  Christina nudged Mandy toward the kitchen. “We’ll fix you something yummy and healthy to eat. Be right back.”

  Once they reached the kitchen, Christina leaned against the counter and chuckled softly, with her hand over her mouth. “Dad was so worried, and now he’s treating her like fragile glass. I never realized how lost he’d be without her until this.”

  Mandy nodded. “Sometimes it takes a scare to snap people’s attention back to where it should be.”

  “You got that right. This whole thing reminded me how important it is to lean on the Lord. I never stopped believing, but I have to admit there were times when I didn’t think about His hand in my life.”

  “I know exactly what you’re saying,” Mandy admitted. “He’s shown me that I can’t control everything around me.”

  Christina smiled. “I guess we’ll always be works in progress.”

  They worked on a vegetable platter with the produce Christina had bought. She held up a small container of low-fat yogurt. “I have a great recipe for dip that is actually heart healthy.”

  “Great! I could use some of that myself. I think this is a wake-up call for all of us.”

  “Ya know, I’ve never had my cholesterol checked,” Christina said as she dumped the ingredients into a bowl and stirred. “Mom isn’t overweight, so I assumed she was healthy. Who would have thought she had cholesterol as high as hers?”

  “I know. I think all of us will be healthier now.” Mandy plunged a stick of celery into the yogurt dip then tasted it. “Yum. That’s delicious. In fact, I think I like that better than the high-fat stuff we used to eat.”