Through Her Shattered Eyes ✔

Chapter 26

I'm smoothing my dress out when Mom comes in my room.

"Nice job with the napkins, sweetheart. They look really nice on the plates," she compliments.

"Thank you. I only learned from the best." I turn away from the mirror. "Do I look okay?"

She takes a quick glance at me. I was in the mood for something simple but pretty, so I decided to wear a cute little black dress. It reaches down to my knees and has a boat neckline. It's daring, too, with the dress fitting the frame of my body and it has a low back.

"Of course you do, Ali. You look beau—oh, hold on one second..." Mom walks over to where I'm standing and grabs my black pearl necklace from my nightstand, putting it around my neck. "...there. Now you look beautiful."

I pile my hair on top of my head. "Mm, up or down?"

"Uh, put it up. You always leave your hair down. It'd be nice to see it in a different 'do for a change." She then narrows her eyes at me. "You got a date or something?"

"No."

"You sure? Why are you getting all gussied up, then? Is it your friend?"

"Mom, it's a dinner party. I'm supposed to look nice," I answer, ignoring her last question.

There's a look on her face that says she doesn't believe me. "That wasn't what I—"

"Hey, girls. Our guests are already here. If one of you want to come out and get the door, that'd be fantastic," Dad says suddenly, appearing in my doorway.

"I'll get the door," I offer.

After checking to make sure everything's fine, I leave my room and walk down the hall. Für Elise is playing from my parents' laptop, which is sitting on top of the mantle by the fireplace. The music travels throughout the dining and living room, the melody bouncing off the walls.

The doorbell rings over and over as people arrive. I stand in the foyer, greeting them as they enter our house. Most of the people I come in contact with I know from our last party, but there are also a few new faces. I try to be as warm and welcoming to them as best as I can while keeping an eye out for Nathan.

Twenty minutes soon pass by and there's no sign of him yet. I wonder what's taking him so long. Hopefully he hasn't forgotten about coming over.

I continue to stand by the front door, saying hello as more of the teachers come in. But after a while, I feel kind of bored being in one place and start to feel antsy. I find myself veering into the kitchen.

"Ali, where are you going?" Dad calls after me.

"I'll be right back."

I step inside, closing my eyes as I breathe in the dinner Mom made.

"Need some help?" I ask her, who's bent over the oven.

She straightens, a pan of scalloped potatoes in her oven-mitted hands.

"Would you mind dabbing the tart with whipped cream?" She nods at the fruit dessert that's on the counter, the whole pie sliced into little wedges.

Grabbing the whipped cream from the fridge, I reach for a spoon to scoop some and go to town.

The repetition of the movement is calming, and from where I'm standing I have a good view of the side of the foyer. No Nathan.

"Isn't James here yet?"

"No, not yet."

I finish with dabbing the whipped cream on the tart and place the container back in the refrigerator. Looking back at my masterpiece, I'm tempted to eat one now. And I almost do when Mom catches me picking at it. She slaps my hand.