From Heartbreak to Mate

Snow was falling on the already covered ground as Carissa Young hurried to her car. She and her boyfriend, Kyle Mathers, had been invited to the big holiday bash held by businessman John Evans. His daughter, Hailey, had been one of Carissa’s best friends growing up and had quickly become friends with Kyle. That invitation meant Carissa had to find an appropriate dress for the occasion, which she found far more difficult than she had expected. Carissa was a kindergarten teacher. She shopped mostly at second-hand stores and thrift shops, both to cut costs and make her meager paycheck stretch, and she could not see paying a lot for clothing that would soon be ruined. Her wardrobe consisted of fun and functional pieces that were covered in paint stains and well-worn. She did not own a single thing that would have worked for any holiday party, much less one of the caliber of the celebrations Mr. Evans always held. She hurried to her car, got in, and started it. The heater hit Carissa in the face at full blast with cold air, making her even more frustrated than she had been. She hated shopping, and there was only one store left in town before she was officially out of options that she could afford. Carissa drove to the last shop in town and parked. The store would be closing in thirty minutes. That filled her with dread as she raced inside, slipping in the slush on the sidewalk as she yanked on the door. Carissa stepped in, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the bright lights in the store. “May I help you find something?” a young woman wearing a name tag asked as she approached Carissa. “Thank you, Tammy,” Carissa replied, reading the name tag. “I need to find a dress for a fancy holiday party. The problem is, I don’t like flashy things, and the dress must be affordable.” Tammy thought for a minute and smiled, “You know, we have some nice things that are on the sale rack. Our manager moved quite a few of our holiday lines there today. There are several dresses that should work if we have them in your size.” “That sounds perfect,” Carissa said with a sigh of relief. Tammy led the way to the clearance rack and helped Carissa choose a few things to try on. She set up the dressing room and left Carissa to try on the dresses. “Since you are the only customer right now, I’ll stay close. If you need anything, just yell,” Tammy said with a bright smile. “Would you mind giving your opinion?” Carissa asked. “I normally ask my friend to join me, but she had a meeting and wasn’t sure if she could make it, so I am on my own. I teach kindergarten. I wouldn’t know fashion if it walked up and bit my backside.” “Sure thing,” Tammy said with a giggle. “I have been in your place more times than I can count. I can dress a stranger, but when it comes to my own outfits, I always have doubts.” “Thank you,” Carissa breathed as she stepped into the dressing room. After closing the door, Carissa turned to study the dresses that had been chosen. There was a classic, little black sheath dress, a bright red dress with ruching along both sides, a navy blue mini dress covered in sparkles, and a dark green velvet dress with a deep V-neckline and a flared skirt. Carissa hoped the green one would fit; it was her favorite, and although it was less flashy, she could add jewelry and make it pop. "Try the green one first!!" Tammy yelled to her from somewhere in the store. That made Carissa laugh. She made a mental note to come back to this store and shop with Tammy if she needed another dress or anything else for a special occasion. Carissa slipped into the green velvet dress and zipped it up. It fit her like a glove. She was on the tall side, making the dress fall just above her knees. That made the dress a little short, but it was still tasteful. The deep green made the green in her hazel eye pop. Her long brunette curls tumbled down her back, setting off the green. “Tammy?” Carissa called out as she opened the fitting room door. “What do you think? As far as I am concerned, this is the one.” “Oh, wow,” Tammy said as she appraised Carissa in the dress. “Perfect. All you need are the right shoes and jewelry. You might have jewelry tucked away that you can use, but you need sexy shoes, which I doubt you have.” “All of my shoes are things I can wear to work,” Carissa sighed. “Can you help me find the right ones?” “I would love to,” Tammy said, clasping her hands in front of her as she took in Carissa in the dress. “You need heels, but you are tall enough that you don’t need super high ones. Maybe a cute kitten heel or a mid-height heel. I suggest a basic black. That way, you can wear them with almost anything later on.” Carissa nodded silently as she followed Tammy to the shoe display. Tammy looked at Carissa’s bare feet and chose two styles of shoes for her without asking what size she needed. Tammy turned to face her, holding up one shoe, then the other. She alternated between the two before she handed one to Carissa. “Try this on and then have a look in the mirror over there,” Tammy instructed. Carissa took the shoebox and sat on the bench to slip them on. They were simple black pumps with thin heels. They were higher than a kitten heel, but not as tall as some stilettos that she had seen and even attempted to wear. She didn’t know how Tammy had done it, but the shoes were the perfect size. Carissa smiled as she stood and stepped in front of the mirror. “It’s perfect!” Carissa giggled with excitement. “The dress, the shoes, it's all perfect.” “You are stunning. You should wear that shade of green as often as you can,” Tammy said with a smile. “Do you need anything else?” “This is it,” Carissa grinned as she took a final look in the mirror. “I already know which jewelry I’ll wear with it.” “Slip the shoes off, and I will take them to the front for you while you change,” Tammy said. Carissa gave her the shoes before she hurriedly changed back into her clothing. When she reached the counter, Tammy was waiting with a smile on her face to ring up the dress and shoes. Carissa was happy about that. The snow was picking up, and she was anxious to get home to her boyfriend before the roads got any worse. Moments later, Carissa was stepping onto the sidewalk into the falling snow. She lived only ten minutes away on a good day, but today, she would be lucky if she made it in thirty. - Carissa pulled into the driveway, surprised to find not only her boyfriend Kyle’s truck, but also the SUV belonging to their friend Hailey Evans parked beside it. Carissa parked behind Kyle. She could not help but notice that a couple of inches of snow covered both vehicles. It was not uncommon for Hailey to be at the house, but Carissa was worried about it today because of the weather. She grabbed her bags and made her way inside, dodging patches of ice and piles of snow that were drifting. Carissa opened the door to be greeted by a delectable aroma coming from the kitchen. She smiled as she closed the door behind her. “Honey! I’m home!” Carissa called out as she removed her coat and hung it by the door. “We’re in the kitchen!” Hailey yelled back. Carissa picked up the bag and took it to the kitchen, where she found Hailey cooking while Kyle sat at the kitchen island watching. She gave Kyle a quick kiss before sliding onto the stool beside him. She inhaled deeply, trying to determine what Hailey was cooking. “What are you making, Hail? It smells amazing,” Carissa said. Hailey flashed one of her thousand-watt smiles at Carissa and said, “It is a recipe I found yesterday. It is steak with mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. I am making a rice pilaf to go with it.” “I am so happy that you love to cook, and you like to break into my house to do it,” Carissa laughed. “I saw the bag. Did you find a dress or do we need to raid my closet tomorrow before the party at Dad’s?” Hailey asked. “I found a dress,” Carissa said proudly. “I love the color. It is plain, but it is velvet, so it makes it perfect for the party.” Carissa stood and pulled the dress out of the bag. She held it against herself and asked, “What do you think?” “It is perfect for you,” Hailey said with a smile. “It is classy and dressy, but not too flashy or bright. You look great in that color.” Kyle studied the dress and Carissa as she held it before he said, “I love it. It makes the green in your eyes pop. I will be the envy of every man at the party.” “Dinner is almost ready,” Hailey announced. “Get cleaned up and put your dress away. Hurry because I will be ready to start serving any second.” “Sure thing, Mom,” Carissa teased her friend. Carissa stuffed the dress in the bag and jogged to the bedroom. She slipped out of the clothing she had worn all day in the classroom and put on a sweatshirt and lounge pants. She padded back into the kitchen to find Hailey filling plates and placing them on the kitchen island, where they often ate. “Hail, why don’t you spend the night here tonight?” Carissa asked as she accepted a plate, smiling. “The snow is really coming down. It is supposed to stop in a couple of hours, so the roads will be cleared by morning. Your dad would kill me if I made you drive home in this weather.” “Are you sure?” Hailey asked. “Kyle was telling me how he was hoping for a quiet night alone with you.” “I’m sure,” Carissa said as she took Kyle’s hand and smiled at him. “You are my best friend. I wouldn’t know what to do without you. I will make it up to Kyle with an extra special night alone.” Kyle grinned at Carissa and said, “Hailey, you need to stay if it means I get an extra special night alone with Carrie.” “See!” Carissa laughed. “Besides that, I have brand new cartons of ice cream in the freezer, all the fixings for nachos, and at least two packages of brownie mix. The three of us can pick a few movies and make a night of it. You can borrow some of my clothes like always and relax tonight before the party at your dad’s tomorrow night.” “Oooh! That one movie we all wanted to see is now streaming. It’s perfect for tonight,” Kyle exclaimed. “How can I say no to any of that?” Hailey giggled as she filled her plate and sat at the island beside Carissa. “Maybe we can do a trial run of your hair and makeup for tomorrow. I am thinking a plum smoky eye for you to make the green in your eyes pop even more.” “When you ladies are doing that, I will take a nap,” Kyle said as he took a big bite of dinner. “Oh, God,” he moaned. “Hailey, this is delicious.” “Thank you,” Hailey said with a smile. “You can take a nap if you want, but I am thinking that some mascara and the right shade of warm eyeliner would make those blue eyes of yours be the talk of the town.” “Thanks, but I’ll pass. I would forget about it and have it smeared all over my face within minutes,” Kyle said as he ate. “That is sort of like your offer to lend me a pair of heels because they would make my butt look good. They very well might, but I don’t want to risk the broken ankle. My hat’s off to anyone who wears makeup or high heels. I am not strong enough for either of those things.” Carissa and Hailey laughed at Kyle's response. Hailey had always teased Carissa’s boyfriends without mercy. Their friendship had thrived, and the loving and friendly teasing they dished out to one another was included when either dated someone. Some had been offended by it, and the relationships had ended soon after starting. That was part of why Carrisa knew that Kyle was the right man for her. He had not only accepted it but thrived, often teasing the two women as they teased him. That is why the friendship expanded to include Kyle. As Carissa sat at the kitchen island, listening to the banter, she realized how much she loved the two people she was sharing dinner with. They were her family. That was why Carissa was hoping this year, for Christmas, she would get an engagement ring from Kyle. Maybe she would get lucky, and he would propose at the party the next night. “You OK, Carrie?” Kyle asked as he rubbed her leg. “You are awfully quiet considering that you and Hailey still have plans to work out for the party.” Carry smiled and replied, “I’m fine. I’m tired, and my mind is wandering a bit.” Hailey looked at her friend and frowned, “Then hurry and eat. I will make a double batch of brownies while you sit there and supervise. After that, we can sit in the living room, watch that movie, and pig out while you fall asleep on Kyle. How does that sound?” “Perfect,” Carissa murmured. “It sounds perfect.”