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Stella searched about the parking lot, but there wasn’t anyone else here She stepped onto the sidewalk and took the giant and very heavy shears fro to happen "Maybe we should call the landscaping company They’d probably be happy to send soain, she pointed at Stella’s chest and then the tree "Cut"

"Cut this?" She indicated the low branch with the tip of the shears

"Mmmmm" The old lady nodded enthusiastically, her black eyes shining within her wrinkled face

It appeared Stella had no choice If she didn’t do it, she feared the old lady would try doing it herself and ed to hold the shears without slipping all the discs in her spine was a s over her shoulder and enormous shears in her hands, she prepared to step into the landscaping at the base of the tree so she could get near enough to cut the branch down

"No no no no no"

Stella froze with one foot in the air, her heart hopping around her chest like a Mexican ju, which, now that she lookedat all It looked likean herb garden

Teetering, Stella dropped her foot in the dirt between plants

"Main "You cut"

Through a th, Stella lifted the shears above her head, wedged them around the base of the small branch, and snipped it free The branch fell onto the cement sidewalk like a felled bird When the old lady set a hand on her knee and prepared to bend over to retrieve it, Stella hurried away frorabbed it for her

The old lady smiled as she took the branch and patted Stella’s shoulder Then she eyed Stella’s laundry bag, pulled the lip open so she could peer inside, and placed her hand on the strap, steering Stella toward the front doors of the dry cleaners The old lady pushed the glass door open with surprising strength After Stella entered, the old lady snatched the shears, hid them behind her back like no one would notice theh a door behind the vacant front counter

Stella gazed about, taking in the two headless mannequins in thedisplay wholace wedding gown The interior of the store was cal curtains, and lots of natural light

A fitting was going on in an adjacent roo matron in a sleeveless white jumpsuit stood on a raised platform before a trifold of mirrors

Stella went numb with astonishment

At the woman’s feet kneeled Michael

He wore loose jeans and a plain white T-shirt that stretched around his biceps, looking wholeso tape looped behind his neck and dangled down his chest, and his sculpted wrist sported a s pins Balanced over his right ear was a blue chalk pencil

"What kind of heels are you planning to ith this?" he asked

"I was planning on these, actually" The lady pulled her pant leg up to reveal regular white puher"

Margie’s lips thinned, and she angled her foot, turned it side to side After a ht I have just the pair"

"I’ to add another inch to the hem, then How does the waist feel?"

"It’s too coured you planned to eat in this"

"My tailor thinks of everything" She pivoted and stared at the profile of her pinned-up waistline in the mirrors

Michael rolled his eyes, but he set? Fire-engine red You’ll have this ready by next Friday?"

"Yeah, it’ll be ready"

"Excellent"