The Able Sisters

Chapter 42

Labelle twirled around in a new summer dress. It was white with multi-colored flowers embroidered in the design. She had spent a good week working on it and was excited to wear it around the city today before she had to change for work.

The days were still hot, and summer was nowhere near over, but sometimes she longed for cold fall days again. It reminded that a new fashion collection would debut, that her birthday was coming up. But then she was also reminded that it was the season in which her parents had died and that one fall all those years ago still haunted her mind.

But today was bright and beautiful, and she had a few hours to kill before going to work. She decided to make a pit stop at Shampoodle along the way to bring Harriet some lunch.

Though she did not see Harriet too often, Labelle liked to connect with her from time to time and check up on the business. She felt a bit guilty that GracieGrace had better business than Harriet's shop, but it looked like all was still well.

She stepped through the door of Shampoodle with a plastic bag full of sandwiches. Harriet was finishing up one of her customers, but she glanced up at Labelle and smiled.

"There you go," Harriet said to a cat who had just finished getting a haircut.

The customer was gone in a few minutes, and Harriet put a temporarily closed sign up on her door so they could enjoy lunch together.

"Here you are," Labelle said, handing Harriet her sandwich.

"Thanks. I'm famished!" the poodle replied.

Labelle grinned and bit into her lunch.

"How are things going at GracieGrace?" Harriet asked.

"We're working on our fall collection right now, but sales are good."

"I'm sure they always are."

Labelle shrugged, even though Harriet was right. Near the end of the season sales began to dip, but then they'd have a big blowout sale and sales were up again.

"How is it designing clothes with Gracie? I feel like she'd be a pain," Harriet joked.

"I mean, a bit," Labelle replied. Labelle felt like she was able to stand all those annoying animals well though. After all, she'd helped Katrina fairly frequently when working for Harriet.

"But I like it a lot," Labelle told Harriet. "I'm living comfortably, I get to help with the designs. I mean, I even just finished this dress today," she said.

"Ooh, I like it," Harriet told her. "Why don't they sell anything like that at the store?"

"Oh, it's not fancy enough. I suppose it'd be too affordable," Labelle told her.

"Hmph. Gracie and her need for large prices. I would buy something like that off of you. Would you sell?"

"Oh, I don't know," Labelle replied. "I-I wasn't planning to start my own business or anything. I just do it for fun..." Her mind suddenly drifted to Sable. Labelle could have easily done something like that at home back at the tailor shop. But how big of profits was Sable even making anyway? Sure, Labelle didn't get to sell what she made, but she liked making clothing for fun, and she still got some say in what she and Gracie designed.

"Well, if you change your mind, I'd pay you for an outfit, or an accessory at least," Harriet told her.

Labelle nodded. "Thanks," she said. "And you know I'd get a haircut, but--"

Harriet laughed. "Yes, I know. The quills."

A silence settled between them as they ate. It was true sometimes their meetings were awkward now after all the success Labelle had had.

"I guess I forget sometimes you don't work for me anymore," Harriet said. "How old were you when you came to me?"

"Sixteen," Labelle muttered. Had it really been five years since she'd come to the city?

"Wow. I remember when I first saw you. You looked all scared and alone. And now look at you!" Harriet exclaimed.

Labelle blushed a bit. "It's weird to think how different everything is," she told Harriet. "I think city life was definitely meant for me."

"Have you gone home at all?" Harriet asked.

Labelle stiffened. "I...no. No."

"Your family must be worried about you. You left rather young," Harriet remarked.

"I-I was orphaned," Labelle admitted. "There was no family left."

"Oh, my! You never mentioned that when I hired you!" Harriet exclaimed.

"It was still kind of new in my life," Labelle told her, not revealing the fact she left two sisters behind at home.

"Well, I'm glad everything has worked out for you here. Your story could've gone a lot differently," Harriet said, finishing the last bite of her sandwich. 

Labelle nodded, finishing up her lunch as well. It was nice to catch up with Harriet from time to time. After all, it wasn't like Labelle had many friends...She shook these thoughts away, knowing success was the most important. She had practically everything she needed now and was looking forward to the future.

Labelle stood up, throwing her trash away.

"Off to work?" Harriet asked.

Labelle nodded. 

"You work there every day?"

Labelle once again nodded.

"That's a lot of effort put into that store."

"I like it though," Labelle assured her. "It doesn't pay badly either."

Harriet grinned. "Well, maybe I'll try to stop in sometime and visit, if I can afford it anyway."

"Yeah, stop by sometime. I could find you something nice," Labelle assured her.

"You could make me something too," Harriet hinted.

"I'll think about it," Labelle said, smirking. "See you later, Harriet!"

The pink poodle waved good-bye as Labelle left the shop. She stepped back into the sun and headed into the plaza for work. It was nice to have lunch with a friend, but some of what Harriet had said would stick with her.

Labelle had never thought of starting her own business. Now that she was teamed up with a famous fashion designer, there wasn't much of a need, and she knew she wouldn't have as much success as Gracie. Besides, if she'd really wanted her own business, she could've just stayed at home, where no one would appreciate her fashion expertise.

She thought again to what Harriet said about her family being worried. Labelle guessed it was too late now to really think of what her family thought. There'd been no connection in five years, and there wouldn't be on starting anytime soon. True, maybe she did worry a bit about her family from time to time, but she knew now from that one encounter with that raccoon that things had to be somewhat okay.

Am I really going the rest of my life without seeing them ever again? Labelle thought as she changed into her work outfit. She knew she didn't want an encounter now, but she'd never considered being isolated from them forever.

She stepped out into the shop and got behind the counter. It was best to leave these thoughts behind for now. Here, in the city, she had everything she ever wanted.