Behind Her Smile Read Free Page B

they listened to music together. “They were a cute couple, weren’t they?”
    “Yep.” He took a deep breath and let it out. Then he turned to look at her, putting his finger on her chin and moving his face toward hers. “We’re a cute couple, too, you know,” he said slyly.
    “Are you going somewhere with this?” she asked, pretending to be clueless.
    “Maybe,” he replied, pulling her into a kiss that began playfully and then deepened. Soon they were dissolving into each other’s arms.
    Later, as Michelle drifted off to sleep, she voiced a silent prayer. Jesus, please watch over Maddie. Keep her close and help her through the letting go process with Luke. And, if it’s Your will, would You bring them back together in Your perfect time?
    Peace replaced the concern that had gripped her heart, and she sank into a restful, uninterrupted night’s sleep.

CHAPTER TWO
     
    Madison watched Luke sling his backpack onto the conveyor belt at the security checkpoint at the airport. He turned and gave her one final smile before walking through the metal detector and disappearing into the sea of people on the other side. “Bye,” she whispered to herself, and then turning and giving her mother, Lucy, and Kelly her best fake smile, she said aloud, “Time to shop!”
    “Yep!” Lucy exclaimed in reply, taking Madison’s arm in hers and leading them toward the exit.
    They headed out to the parking structure, piled into Kelly’s SUV, and drove off toward the mall. As Michelle and Kelly chatted in the front seat, Madison gazed out the car window, watching an airplane taking off and wondering if it was Luke’s.
    “Did you hear me?” Lucy asked.
    Maddie turned to her friend. “What?”
    “I was asking if you’d seen the latest issue of Sixteen magazine. They have a big fashion section. Lots of cute dresses.”
    “No. I haven’t seen it,” she replied.
    “Well, lucky for you I brought it along.” Lucy reached down, retrieved her backpack from the floor, and unzipped it, pulling out the large, glossy publication. A cute blonde on the cover wore a turquoise tee shirt with a sterling silver heart necklace dangling in its v-neck. Lucy quickly paged through to the fashion article and then handed it to Madison. “See what I mean? I hope we can find some like these.” She pointed to a few of the pictures.
    “Yeah, those are cute,” Madison agreed. I wonder how they’d look on me, she thought. These girls are all so thin.
    When they arrived at the mall, Kelly and Michelle suggested the girls do a little looking at their favorite shops while they grabbed a cup of coffee. “If you see something you like, just ask them to hold it,” Michelle told Madison.
    “We’ll meet back at the food court at noon, get some lunch, and then we can go see your finds,” Kelly added.
    Turning to Madison, Michelle added, “Remember your budget, honey.”
    “You, too, Luce,” Kelly said.
    “Okay, okay. Let’s go,” Lucy said, grabbing Maddie’s hand and dragging her in the direction of one of the teen clothing shops.
    As they walked through the first store, Lucy pulled multiple dresses from the racks, throwing them over her arm in wild abandon. “Everything’s so cute!” she said blissfully.
    Madison found five dresses that appealed to her, and they headed for the dressing rooms.
    “How many?” the attendant asked.
    Lucy began counting her hangers. “Fourteen.”
    “You can only take six in at a time,” the woman replied.
    Sighing, Lucy replied, “Okay.” She began weeding through the pile, choosing her favorite six. Reluctantly, she handed the others over.
    “They’ll be right here,” the attendant promised, gesturing to a rack nearby. Handing them each a number, she led them to their dressing rooms.
    “Let’s come out and show each other each dress,” Lucy suggested as they walked into the adjoining cubicles.
    Madison nodded. “Okay.”
    A couple of minutes later, Lucy said, “I’m ready!” Madison could