AFTER A LONG DAY IN HEELS
The next Monday morning, I faced the bathroom mirror, nervously working on my makeup, frustrated with the results.
My stepdaughter stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself and stood next to me with a smile. I muttered a curse as I wiped off too much blush.
"What's wrong, Mom?"
I scoffed. "It's just not working for me today. It's been so long since I've tried to look professional. The lighting in here is terrible, I can't even see what I'm doing. This foundation is the wrong color. Aghh, I just can't!"
"Mom, relax." Tracie stepped behind me and put her hands on my shoulders. "You're just nervous. It's totally normal."
I met my daughter's kind eyes in the mirror. She started giving me a shoulder massage, and immediately half the tension dropped from my body.
She said, "That's better."
"I haven't worked an actual job for a dozen years," I said. "I can't go in there looking like a clown."
Tracie laughed and continued to rub my shoulders, melting my anxiety away. She said, "Mom, first of all, you're beautiful. You don't need to do anything special. Your outfit looks great, you look great in it. Your hair looks great. Just do your regular makeup like you've been doing. Pretend like you're just going to one of my volleyball matches."
My daughter's compliments and calm encouragement brought me to my senses. I said, "You mean I don't have to make myself up like we did for the restaurant?"
Tracie put her cheek to mine. "Nothing that gorgeous," she said. "They wouldn't be able to handle it."
I breathed out my nervousness, and breathed in her love. "Thank you, honey. You're my angel, you know that?"
"Of course I do." She kissed my ear.
I turned to look at her over my shoulder.
She gave me a sweet kiss on the lips. "You're going to do awesome, Mom. Remember: they're lucky to have you - not the other way around."
I said, "Isn't that what I used to tell you?"
"Every team, every season."
There's a special feeling when your child echoes your own advice back to you. Maybe I hadn't always been such a bad mother after all.
I said, "Well, the luckiest one is me, to have you."
~ * ~
The first day at work flew by as I was introduced to many people, and tried to process the whirlwind of information about policies, procedures, and goals.
I wanted to succeed at my new job as much for my stepdaughter as for myself. I wanted to do better than good, I wanted to be excellent. For the first few days, between all the meetings and new-employee paperwork, I researched the company's products, services, and clients. To get up to speed all the faster, I also brought home research to do between dinner and my evening exercise with Tracie.
When we finished our meal, I set myself up at the dining room table with my company-issued laptop and a stack of printed product brochures. I rubbed my foot under the table as Tracie sat next to me. She had her own laptop and papers.
I said, "Oh, are you going to join me, sweetie?"
"Yeah, I saved some studying so we could work together."
"Oh, how fun!"
She said, "What's going on with your foot?"
"Ah, it's been quite a while since I wore heels all day. It was never my favorite thing to do."
"Aw, I'm sorry. They hurt?"
"Oh, don't worry. I'll get used to it. I'll gladly wear heels if it means I can have a decent job. I want you to be able to look up to me."
"I do look up to you, Mom."
"Thank you, baby. That means a lot."
It was delightful to sit next to my stepdaughter, doing our homework together. Every once in a while, we'd look up at each other, and Tracie's warm smile brightened my heart. If you had asked me what kind of life I wished my daughter and I could have, this was it.
A while later, I noticed Tracie was no longer paying attention to her laptop or papers. She was tapping her pencil, looking at me, like she was lost in thought.
I asked, "Are you all done with your studying?"
She nodded. "For tonight."
"Well, honey, you don't need to sit here with me if you're done. I'm going to quit soon anyway, so we can get our workout in."
"It's okay, I'm just thinking."
After a couple more minutes of looking thoughtful, Tracie turned to her laptop and started typing rapidly. Whatever she was doing, she seemed very happy with it. After an extended burst of writing, she read it over, giggling and making little changes.
Finally, I closed my laptop. "Well, I've had enough for the day. Should we get ready for our workout?"
"Wow, Mom, look at you! I didn't even have to nag you tonight."
Down in the basement, we got into a good, challenging exercise routine - designed and directed as always by my beautiful, brilliant stepdaughter. Halfway through, we paused to catch our breath and hydrate.
Tracie took a sip from a liter-sized water bottle and handed it to me. While I drank, she said, "I have a special idea for tonight." She had a mischievous look in her eye.
"What kind of idea?"
Giggling, she said, "You'll see."
After we finished our sweaty workout, I was first to jump into the shower for a quick rinse-off. When I got out, Tracie was standing naked in the bathroom, waiting for her turn. As I finished toweling off, she put her hand on my wrist and said, "I set your script and wardrobe on your bed."
I laughed, tucking my towel around me. "Script and wardrobe? Am I in Hollywood right now?" And then it hit me. "Oh, this idea - is this something for... the file?"
The file
had become our code for Tracie's blackmail materials on me.
"Don't freak out, but yes."
"We're still doing that?"
"Don't worry, Mom, this one will be fun. I think you'll like it."
"Like it, huh?" I didn't see how she expected me to enjoy being forced to create more blackmail on myself. But as I watched Tracie step her lovely, nude body into the shower, she gave me a smile that made me wonder.
She said, "Before you go, could you wash my back off for me?" She handed me a bottle of body wash and a washcloth.
I squeezed some body wash onto the cloth and lightly scrubbed my stepdaughter's long, smooth back. She hummed, "Mmm, that feels good." I circled the washcloth on her skin, and watched the soapy suds flow down her shining torso.
I always loved Tracie's dimples of Venus, the two beautiful indentations on her lower back, just above her pelvis. I snuck a feel of them with my fingertips as I washed her back. I had the weird thought of dropping the towel around my body and stepping back into the shower with my daughter.
"Thanks, Mom. So, look at the script while I finish rinsing off."