“Just bathing Miss Grayson.”


“Oh.” Rose looked from one woman to the other. “I can wash myself mostly if someone can get the water and washcloth for me.” She tried to tell her friend with her eyes that this was what she preferred to do. Ronnie nodded in understanding.


“Okay. I guess we can handle everything else, Karen. We’ll see you tomorrow.”


Rose relaxed with Ronnie’s words, until she remembered the rest of them…. “Oh God, the party.”


“Don’t worry about it,” the dark-haired woman replied, walking into the bathroom. “I’ll get the things together you’ll need to wash up and then we’ll get you dressed.” The sound of water running into the basin mixed with the words. “I’ve got to get everything else from the car and find the stand for the tree.” She returned with the washbowl, soap, and cloth. “I think it’s in the attic. Do you need anything else before I go?”


“No, this is great.” Rose maintained her smile until the older woman left the room. Her legs throbbed from the physical therapy but panic overrode the pain.The Dartmouth shirt found its way off her body and onto the bed. Rose felt the pressure building from within.The soapy cloth moved over her arms and shoulders as she thought about the possible disasters that could befall the evening. Her legs could get bumped accidentally, she could spill a drink down her front, she could say the wrong thing, all those and a dozen others passed through her mind while she continued to clean herself.


She was just finishing up when Ronnie knocked on the door. “May I come in?”


“Just a minute.” She covered her chest with the fluffy towel. “Okay.”


Ronnie walked in with a bag in one hand and the most gorgeous dress Rose had ever seen in the other.


“It’s beautiful,” she whispered in awe.


“Glad you like it. I’ve got all the things you’ll need to wear with it so now is just as good a time as any to get you dressed.” Ronnie walked over to the bed and set the bag down. “Then you can help me with the other things that need to be done.” She reached into the bag and pulled out a lacy brassiere, snapping off the price tags effortlessly. “I um…I got one that closed in the front.” Ronnie handed her the bra and quickly turned to rummage through the bag. “I thought that would be easier for you.”


“Yes, it would be. Thank you.” She was not sure how to take what appeared to be shyness mixed with enthusiasm from her friend. Ronnie seemed almost nervous to her. She took the bra and ran her fingertips over the lacy trim. They were low cut cups, designed to be worn with something that showed cleavage and had no padding, not that she needed any help in that department. Rose was quite comfortable with her 36C bust that had only recently begun to droop. She looked at the size tag. 36B. Well, it would still fit, she decided, just make her appear more busty. She let the towel drop and slipped her arms through the straps before hooking it. “It fits nicely, thanks,” she said, drawing Ronnie’s attention away from the sales receipt she had been studying intently.


“Oh, good. I wasn’t sure what size to get. Do the straps need adjusting?”


“Actually, yeah, they do.” Rose sat up as best she could, while Ronnie sat down next to her on the bed and slipped her fingers under the thin strap.


“Let me know when it feels right,” she said. The blonde woman nodded and tried to focus on the task at hand.


“A little higher…no, a little less than that…yeah, that’s good.” She placed her hand on the side of her right breast and checked the fit. Yes, it felt just right. Ronnie walked around to the other side and repeated the process. The end result was exactly what Rose thought it would be. Her breasts pushed up from the confines of the lacy bra, making her appear to be larger than usual.


“Um…do you like it? I can still run out and get a different one if you don’t like it.”


“No, no. It’s fine, really,” she assured. “Truthfully, I don’t think I’ve ever owned such a pretty bra.” She looked up to see a smile on Ronnie’s face. “It’s very nice of you, thanks.”


“Oh, there’s more.” She returned to the bag and pulled out a silky lace half-slip and equally delicate panties. “I had to guess at the size for these too, but they should be close.


With the older woman’s help, Rose pulled the half-slip over her head and into position. She flushed with embarrassment as Ronnie helped her get the panties on, unable to take over the job herself until they were within inches of being pulled all the way up. “How are we going to get the dress on?”


“Easy. We have to put you in the chair first, though.”


Sitting in nothing but undergarments in the wheelchair, Rose patiently waited while Ronnie gathered the layers of blue material. “Put your arms up.” She did as she was told and soon the dress was in position. It hurt her hamstrings to lean forward while it was zipped and tucked around her waist but it was over quickly. A new pair of large tube socks covered her feet and ankles. “That’s the best I can do. I don’t think slippers or anything like that would fit over the cast.”


Ronnie stepped back to admire her handiwork. She had good reason to be proud. Rose was a vision, even with the stitches still prominently displayed on her right cheek. Her golden hair hung loosely over her shoulders, creating the aura that captivated the older woman. The rich blue highlighted the alabaster skin and the low front accented another set of lovely features. Looking at the vision before her, Ronnie could no longer deny she was feeling an attraction to the young woman. “You look beautiful,” she said, sadly, knowing inside she could never act on that feeling. The true circumstances of the accident had ruined any chance of that.


“Thank you,” Rose replied. She ran her hand down the shimmering fabric. It was so delicate, so beautiful. A lump formed in her throat and she found herself blinking rapidly. It was obvious Ronnie had taken great care in picking out the clothes. She didn’t even want to think about how much everything cost her wealthy friend. “Everything is perfect…it’s all…”


“Hey, if it really is too much for you, I’ll figure out something else,” Ronnie cooed, kneeling down next to the chair.


“No, I can do this. I…” She sniffled and lifted her head, convinced she had her emotions under control. “I told you about my life. I’ve never been to fancy parties or worn beautiful clothes like this. I’ve given up on trying to figure out why you’re helping me but it’s still a bit overwhelming sometimes.” She clasped the larger hand resting on her own. “I know I thank you all the time and I seem to cry at the drop of a hat, but I can’t remember when anyone has been so good to me.” Rose lowered her eyes, the gentle green partially obscured by naturally long lashes. “You’re a very special woman, Veronica Cartwright.”


“So are you,” Ronnie countered, squeezing the hand beneath hers. The grandfather clock in the living room bonged with the arrival of the top of the hour. “I’d better finish getting everything inside and get changed. The decorators and caterers will be arriving soon.” She stood up, reluctantly removing her hand from between Rose’s. “Do you want to hang out in the living room or stay in here for a while longer?”


“I think I’d like to go out there, if I won’t be in the way. It would be nice to watch everything get set up.”


“Fine.” Ronnie smiled and grabbed the handles of the wheelchair. “I’ll put you to work then. You can direct traffic and make sure the decorations are evenly spaced on the tree.”


“Tree? You bought a tree?” Rose’s eyes lit up with excitement.


“Hey, I may not want to throw this party but if I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it right. Besides, wouldn’t you like a tree for Christmas?”


“I, uh…yeah, that would be very nice.” She had not thought Ronnie would decorate at all based on their earlier conversations but now…. “A tree would be very nice.”


Ronnie decided the smile she received was worth all the trees in the world. “Great. Let’s go get this place ready.”



* * *

Maria expertly controlled the traffic of caterers and decorators. Calls for surge protectors or extra outlets were met with ease by the experienced housekeeper. Whether it was tacks to hang up the streamers or the mini steamer to clean up a spill on the carpet, she was one step ahead of them. Even the issue of Tabitha had been settled. Feline, food, litter box, and a bag of catnip were now safely hidden away in the laundry room. With her chair in the far corner of the living room, Rose stayed out of the way but was still able to keep an eye on the symmetry of the tree decorations. With Maria busy and Ronnie nowhere in sight, the decorators turned to her time and again for instructions on where to place this ornament or that string of lights. Rose tried to think about how her friend would like it to look. She decided tasteful yet appealing to the eye would be nice with just a touch of flair thrown in.


Ronnie stopped halfway down the stairs and just gaped at what she saw. A colorful array of blue, yellow, and red ornaments accented the branches of the tree, no one area screaming for more attention than any other, tinsel was draped in light strips throughout, with the same sense of symmetry. Multi-colored strings of lights twinkled and glowed with the exception of one set. Blue and red chaser lights formed a double-helix design from the base to the top, drawing attention to the traditional star resting there. The tree was absolutely perfect.


Slowly, her head turned to take in the rest of the effect. The decorations were scattered about the room, transforming it into a warm and welcoming space. Twisted streamers of red and green rimmed the room, old family ornaments hanging off them like tassels. Ronnie smiled as the sense of nostalgia flooded through her and images of childhood parties superimposed themselves over the modern scene.




The hostess was not the only one stunned into silence. Rose looked up and found she could not tear her eyes away from the beauty on the staircase. The velvet dress stopped just above the knees and was the same shade as Ronnie’s hair. A gold herringbone necklace and matching belt accented the diamond-studded earrings and bracelet, giving color to the outfit. A touch of blush enhanced the natural highlights of her cheekbones and a shade called coincidentally enough,, emphasized her lips and nails. The soft velvet scooped down respectfully in the front, perfect for family occasions and the three-quarter sleeves highlighted every movement of her long arms. Veronica Cartwright was, in a word…stunning. When Rose saw blue eyes gazing back at her, she turned away, embarrassed at having been caught staring. Wrapped up in her own unexpected emotions, she didn’t realize that Ronnie had been staring at her as well.


Ronnie worked her way down the stairs, still enchanted by the miracle performed on her living room. “It’s perfect,” she said when she reached the young woman’s side.


“I saw the box of old ornaments and thought it might be nice to put them out where everyone could see and remember them. I hope that was all right. It gave color to the entire room instead of just the corner with the tree.”


“It was a wonderful idea and I love it.” She gave a smile reserved for Rose alone. The grandfather clock chimed. “Mother’s going to be here any minute.” Ronnie knelt down next to the chair. “Sometimes my mother can be a bit…harsh. I’ll try to keep her away from you. Don’t forget what I said about Susan being a gossip. I have to walk around and speak with everyone but I’ll try to spend as much time as I can near you.” The sound of a limousine pulling up in the driveway filtered through to them. “That’s probably her and Aunt Elaine now.”


As expected, Beatrice Cartwright arrived with her younger sister Elaine. Beatrice took her role as matriarch seriously, feeling it outranked everything else, including the president of Cartwright Corporation. She was no sooner in the door than she was ordering the decorators around and scrutinizing the caterer’s work. While Ronnie was busy listening to her mother’s demands about the party, Elaine wandered into the living room and spotted Rose.