Page 46 of Savannah Sweethearts

“Oh, yes! I do need a new dress. Can I give my old one to Emily?”

Alonso’s eyes crinkled much like how Maggie’s did. “That’s really sweet of you. Of course you can. I’m sure Emily would appreciate it.”

Turning to me, a sly smile crossed Maggie’s face. “Do you want to come prom shopping with me, Piper?”

Of course I did. But if that was a special time between Alonso and his sister, I didn’t want to interfere.

Reading my hesitation, Alonso echoed his sister. “You have to come now. I am so lost when it comes to fancy dresses.”

Lucky for him, I happened to be a fancy dress expert. Most recently I had been doing wedding dress shopping. Thankfully, no purchases had been made before I discovered Henry’s deception.

Eager for a happy occasion, I readily agreed. “I would love to join you. Thank you for inviting me, Maggie.”

She beamed, clearly pleased with the outcome of the day. We said our goodbyes and got back into Alonso’s car.

Alonso took a deep sigh and looked my way. “If you can’t make it Wednesday, it’s fine. I know that was kind of putting you on the spot.”

“Are you kidding? Women love dress shopping for any reason and I am no exception.” I was already picturing what colors would look best on Maggie’s gorgeous skin. But then I thought maybe Alonso didn’t want me to be a third wheel. “Unless, that is, you don’t want me to come with you. I understand that it’s a special time for you and your sister. I can easily bow out if you prefer.”

Truth be told, in the five minutes since I had accepted the invitation, I was already looking forward to the shopping trip. Maggie was fun and easy to talk to. And as much as I hated to admit it, my loathing for Alonso Ortiz was changing rapidly into something completely different.

His response was subdued as he looked at me and scratched his chin. “No, no, I would love for you to come with us. Maggie clearly loved you. And...” He paused, shook his head, and brightened his smile. “And, um, I could use the help with all that girly stuff. So yeah, come with us.”

A lump lodged in my throat and I couldn’t figure out why. Was it his more serious tone? The way he looked at me? Was it how I thought he was going to say he wanted my company? All I could do was nod in agreement. I looked out the window and sat silently until he dropped me off at home.

“Thank you for taking me to meet your sister, Alonso.”

“Of course.” And he drove away, flying down the street as if his tailpipe was on fire.

Alonso

Dress shopping was not my idea of a good time, but I would do anything in the world for Maggie. I also pushed her to do things for herself. When other kids at school made fun of her, I taught her to insult them in Spanish. Abuela had been horrified at the words that came from Maggie’s young lips. But, I had to think that my tutelage was what allowed her to live mostly independently and to think for herself.

I picked Piper up again and together we went to get Maggie. We made polite small talk as we drove through Savannah. Piper graciously allowed Maggie to sit up front. She had even brought my sister a tall, glittery tiara to wear while shopping. Naturally, Maggie had loved it and was all too happy to wear it as we wandered the mall.

In the first store, a saleswoman approached Piper. “Can I help you miss?”

“No, but you can help my friend here. She’s the shopper today.” Piper stepped to the side so Maggie would shine. The puff of pride I felt was oddly warming and I had to ask myself if it was pride in Maggie or in Piper. Of course it was in Maggie. Naturally.

The woman’s fake smile fell, an action that did not escape the notice of myself or Piper. “I see. Feel free to shop around and let me know if I can get a dressing room started for you.” She then whispered to Piper. “Is she going to be a bridesmaid for your wedding? How nice of you to include someone like her.”

Shoulders rolled back and Piper’s head whipped toward the rude salesperson. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but if you can’t treat all three of us like actual people, we will happily take our business and money elsewhere. Do you realize I’m a reporter with Action News? Maybe you’ve seen me. I would love to do an exposé on ableist shops in Savannah and you will be at the top of the list!”

The woman stood stunned, her face bright red. Before she could begin to apologize, Maggie stepped up to her and repeated a line from one of her favorite movies. “You work on commission, right? Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now.”

And together my sister and Piper walked away from the woman and I could do nothing but follow in their wake.

Outside, the two girls hugged. “That was amazing, Maggie. I am so proud of you.”

Maggie struck a pose and kissed the air. “I know what I’m doing. Ali taught me well.”

Piper turned to me. “Ali?”

I shrugged. “Childhood nickname. Alonso is hard for a toddler to say.” I patted Maggie on the back. “But for the record, I am proud of you, too. People like that need to be put in their place.”

“Now, can we really go shopping?” Maggie took Piper’s hand and started to pull her toward another store.

Armed with five dresses to try on, Maggie hid away in a dressing room, aided by an overly helpful saleswoman. Piper had helped pick out colors that would look good on her skin tone and shapes that would flatter Maggie’s body. Both things I knew nothing about.

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