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HelpEstella Sterling
in reply to a message by Array
I'm sorry it's so long. You have a writer on your hands.
I’ve changed it so that she works at a coffee house now instead.
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The alarm clock never went off so when Stella finally awoke she hit the ground running. “Mona, up, up! We’re late!” Mona was off to Nava’s for the day and Stella was off to Gilly‘s Coffee House.
“You’re late!” Stella’s boss’s voice boomed when she opened the door.
“I know! It won’t happen again!” Stella swore as she hurried to tie her apron on and serve the waiting high school students. Since Gilly’s had started making fresh doughnuts in the morning, the nearby university and high school students used them as a morning hang out before school started.
A blonde curly-haired man hurried in with a little girl around Mona‘s age in his arms. “A french vanilla cappuccino and a chocolate milk, please.” he said sitting the little girl down next to him so he could reach for his wallet. The little girl took off to the to the other side of the counter and looked through the glass at the doughnuts, cookies, and brownies. “Jade, come back!” he called as he pulled out his money.
“$5.73” Stella said before looking up into his gorgeous blue eyes. For a moment she was taken back.
“Excuse me?” he asked having not heard the cost of their drinks.
Stella didn’t hear him. She was too far gone in his eyes; they went on forever.
“Excuse me?” he repeated.
Stella blinked and came back to reality. “Uh, um, $5.73.” she repeated shaking her head.
He paid and made his way over to the toddler while waiting for the drinks. Stella had them ready in a flash and was back in front of him. She had to think quickly. “Can she have a doughnut?” Stella asked.
“Eh, I’d rather she not today; she’ll be sticky and -”
Stella was on top of it. “Doughnut hole perhaps? They’re smaller- less mess. I’ll even run get you a wipe to wash her off with afterwards.” Stella said with a smirk.
“You’ve convinced me.” the man smiled back. “Do I get one too?”
Stella’s smirk was stuck to her face. Nervousness set in quickly. “Sure,” she got a dozen doughnut holes and put them in a box, “Just …don’t tell anyone.” She handed them over and he nodded back with a smile. “Thanks.” Then all too soon he picked up the little girl and was gone.
Stella mumbled to herself “Forget the wipe then.”
Maggie, her coworker, nudged her. “Earth to Estella.”
Stella laughed. “Oh please!”
“Yeah, you laugh now. I saw you!” Maggie closed the cash register drawer and grabbed a doughnut hole of her own and popped it into her mouth. “Shhh...don’t tell anyone, Stella.” she teased.
Stella grabbed a hand towel and slapped Maggie‘s side. “Stop!” she laughed and went back to work.
That evening she tucked Harmony in, said their prayers, and kissed her good night. As soon as Mona was asleep she ran to the phone and called Nava.
“Wow, Stella has a first crush.” Nava laughed after hearing the story. “It’s about time. You’re only nineteen.”
“No!” Stella laughed. “You don’t understand I want him to come back so bad, but if he does, I have no idea what to say to him.” she paused. “It doesn’t matter anyway though. He had a daughter. He’s probably happily married with 2.5 kids and a golden retriever.”
“Ah, you never know. People could think the same about you.”
“Or they could think I’m a young teen who screwed her life up and is now left only with only a pipe dream about some boy I served in a coffee shop. Ah, this is ridiculous!”
The next day Stella saw no sign of the man, and the next few days afterward were the same.
Then sometime a week or so later Maggie looked up from mixing chocolate syrup. “Stella, look alive. Lover-boy at 12:00.” she joked to her friend next to her.
Stella looked to the door and there came the same man she‘d been hoping to see. He smiled as he approached the counter. “French vanilla cappuccino, a chocolate milk, and um, a dozen doughnut holes.” he grinned.
Stella rang the order up. “Where’s your daughter?” she asked.
“Asleep in the car.” he answered.
Stella made sure to steal a glance at this left hand as he paid her. “Score!” she thought “Not married.”. “Still this doesn’t rule out a girlfriend or fiancée” she thought as she gathered his order. But at least he wasn’t married.
She handed over the order to him. He thanked her and then, just as before, disappeared out the door onto the busy streets of Atlanta.
“Ugh….” she complained while cleaning up the coffee house that afternoon. “All I know about him is that he likes french vanilla cappuccino and doughnut holes. Has a daughter, and gorgeous blue eyes.”
Maggie laughed. “Stella, relax. If it’s meant to be, it will be. Something will happen and you’ll know. Don‘t you believe in fate?”
“Mm, not really.” Stella cringed as she finished her half of the shop. “I think you kind of make your own future.”
“Suit yourself.” Maggie smiled.
Stella grabbed her things from the back and walked to the door. “See you tomorrow, Mags.”
“See ya.”
Stella stopped in front of the daycare and hurried in. She waited at the door of the two-year-old room for Harmony’s teacher to gather her things.
“This is our two-year-old room.” stated a voice behind her. “This is where Jade will be staying.”
Stella turned around to see the daycare’s director and the man that had been occupying her mind for the past week. This time he was holding his daughter.
“Hi.” Stella smiled.
“Wow, um, hello.” he answered back.
Harmony’s teacher opened the baby gate for her to leave. “Bye Mona.” Stella picked her up, but couldn’t moved because the director, the man ,and his daughter were all blocking her in.
The director spoke up, “Mrs. Daniels, this is Martin and this is his daughter Jade.”
Then she reached over and shook the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you.” Her hand switched to Jade’s hand. “And you too, Jade.”
“Excuse, Miss Sterling, we’ve trapped her in.” the director spoke up.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” the man apologized as he moved out of her way. Stella walked down the hall and went to sign Harmony out. Then, as she was headed to her car the man caught up to her.
“Hey!” he called to her.
She stopped. “Yes?”
“Is she yours?” he asked nodding to Harmony.
“Yes.”
“Interesting. Um, oh, I’m sorry. I’m Perrin.” he smiled. “This is Jade.”
“The director said it was Martin.”
“That’s my last name. I think she thinks it’s my first name. I signed the papers; she should have read-”
“In that case, I’m Estella and this is my daughter, Harmony” Stella answered back.
“Are you two busy?” he smiled. “Or would you be interested in joining Jade and I at the park?”
Stella smiled. “That sounds fun.” Maybe she did believe in fate after all.
At the park, the two pushed their daughters side-by-side on the kiddy-swings and talked. Then finally the subject arose.
“Where you married?” Perrin asked Stella.
“Do I look old enough to have been married?” Stella laughed “How old do you think I am?”
“I don’t know…twenty three, four-ish? Am I close?”
“I’m nineteen.” Stella corrected. “You?”
“Twenty-two.”
“Were you married?” she shot back playfully.
“Engaged…once.” he smiled.
“And what happened to Ms. Right?” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them so Stella hoped it was nothing too bad.
“Let’s just say I don’t make a load of money.” he grimaced.
“Well, you know where I work. What about you?” she asked.
“Ever heard of the Atlanta Journal?” he smiled.
“You work for the newspaper?”
“In a way. I wanted to be a writer. I love to write, but they have me working janitorial staff right now and running assistant errands and other nonsense. I’m that guy that comes running at the snap of the writer’s fingers.” he sounded annoyed. “I planned to start low and work my way to the top, but not that low. I guess their teaching me humility.”
“You think Gilly’s is my dream job?” Stella asked. “Think again, but it’ll get better.”
“It already has.” he smiled. “I’m pushing my little girl in a park swing next to a lovely girl who hasn’t walked away due to boredom yet. I‘m getting somewhere.”
Stella looked down embarrassed.
“Tell me about you.” Perrin pressed.
“What about me?”
“Where’s Harmony’s father?”
“I don’t know. Florida.” Stella didn’t want to scare Perrin away, but she didn’t want to lie to him either. She swallowed her pride. “I used to be a heroin addict. I just did what I had to for drugs.” She paused. “I mean, I didn’t sleep with people for drugs or drug money, I just slept with him so he’d let me stay there and he had the drugs.”
He didn’t answer immediately.
“I’m not proud of it.” Stella added. “It just happened.” she found her courage some. “And I’d like to think I’ve come far since them.”
“I think you have.” he assured. “I would have never guessed that about you.”
“Actually, I’m surprised you’re still standing there. You know my past and that I have a daughter and you haven’t left with a flash of light.”
“Do I come off as that shallow?” he grinned.
“No, no, just most people aren’t interested after knowing that.”
“I’m going to judge on character, Stella. What do you say to dinner?”
Stella now thought this guy was insane or just waiting for a chance to dump her off politely. They went to dinner and enjoyed themselves, neither mentioning the things they talked about earlier in the park. Then it was off home in different directions for both of them. Stella didn’t sleep well that night. She tossed and turned and dreamed of the pretty blue-eyed boy she’d spent most of her day with. He was incredible! Far more than Stella had ever dreamed of, well, maybe not, but more than she ever let on.
Days, turned to months, and Perrin and Stella grew closer. Then one night, away from the girls, the two went to the park again. Perrin stopped in the middle of a field and looked up. “Look, you can see the starts tonight.”
“Cool.” Stella smiled before pulling Perrin down into the grass next to her.
“Stella means ‘star.’” he smiled.
“I know.” she smirked back. “They’re beautiful, aren‘t they?”
“Then you were well-named.” Perrin complimented.
“Thank you.” Estella smiled.
Perrin put a hand on her cheek and turned her face away from the stars to look at him. “I think I should ask this while you’re still flattered. Umm, Estella?”
"Yes?"
He pulled a velvet box out of his coat pocket. “Will you marry me?”
----------
-Seda*
November is National Adoption Month!
I’ve changed it so that she works at a coffee house now instead.
----------
The alarm clock never went off so when Stella finally awoke she hit the ground running. “Mona, up, up! We’re late!” Mona was off to Nava’s for the day and Stella was off to Gilly‘s Coffee House.
“You’re late!” Stella’s boss’s voice boomed when she opened the door.
“I know! It won’t happen again!” Stella swore as she hurried to tie her apron on and serve the waiting high school students. Since Gilly’s had started making fresh doughnuts in the morning, the nearby university and high school students used them as a morning hang out before school started.
A blonde curly-haired man hurried in with a little girl around Mona‘s age in his arms. “A french vanilla cappuccino and a chocolate milk, please.” he said sitting the little girl down next to him so he could reach for his wallet. The little girl took off to the to the other side of the counter and looked through the glass at the doughnuts, cookies, and brownies. “Jade, come back!” he called as he pulled out his money.
“$5.73” Stella said before looking up into his gorgeous blue eyes. For a moment she was taken back.
“Excuse me?” he asked having not heard the cost of their drinks.
Stella didn’t hear him. She was too far gone in his eyes; they went on forever.
“Excuse me?” he repeated.
Stella blinked and came back to reality. “Uh, um, $5.73.” she repeated shaking her head.
He paid and made his way over to the toddler while waiting for the drinks. Stella had them ready in a flash and was back in front of him. She had to think quickly. “Can she have a doughnut?” Stella asked.
“Eh, I’d rather she not today; she’ll be sticky and -”
Stella was on top of it. “Doughnut hole perhaps? They’re smaller- less mess. I’ll even run get you a wipe to wash her off with afterwards.” Stella said with a smirk.
“You’ve convinced me.” the man smiled back. “Do I get one too?”
Stella’s smirk was stuck to her face. Nervousness set in quickly. “Sure,” she got a dozen doughnut holes and put them in a box, “Just …don’t tell anyone.” She handed them over and he nodded back with a smile. “Thanks.” Then all too soon he picked up the little girl and was gone.
Stella mumbled to herself “Forget the wipe then.”
Maggie, her coworker, nudged her. “Earth to Estella.”
Stella laughed. “Oh please!”
“Yeah, you laugh now. I saw you!” Maggie closed the cash register drawer and grabbed a doughnut hole of her own and popped it into her mouth. “Shhh...don’t tell anyone, Stella.” she teased.
Stella grabbed a hand towel and slapped Maggie‘s side. “Stop!” she laughed and went back to work.
That evening she tucked Harmony in, said their prayers, and kissed her good night. As soon as Mona was asleep she ran to the phone and called Nava.
“Wow, Stella has a first crush.” Nava laughed after hearing the story. “It’s about time. You’re only nineteen.”
“No!” Stella laughed. “You don’t understand I want him to come back so bad, but if he does, I have no idea what to say to him.” she paused. “It doesn’t matter anyway though. He had a daughter. He’s probably happily married with 2.5 kids and a golden retriever.”
“Ah, you never know. People could think the same about you.”
“Or they could think I’m a young teen who screwed her life up and is now left only with only a pipe dream about some boy I served in a coffee shop. Ah, this is ridiculous!”
The next day Stella saw no sign of the man, and the next few days afterward were the same.
Then sometime a week or so later Maggie looked up from mixing chocolate syrup. “Stella, look alive. Lover-boy at 12:00.” she joked to her friend next to her.
Stella looked to the door and there came the same man she‘d been hoping to see. He smiled as he approached the counter. “French vanilla cappuccino, a chocolate milk, and um, a dozen doughnut holes.” he grinned.
Stella rang the order up. “Where’s your daughter?” she asked.
“Asleep in the car.” he answered.
Stella made sure to steal a glance at this left hand as he paid her. “Score!” she thought “Not married.”. “Still this doesn’t rule out a girlfriend or fiancée” she thought as she gathered his order. But at least he wasn’t married.
She handed over the order to him. He thanked her and then, just as before, disappeared out the door onto the busy streets of Atlanta.
“Ugh….” she complained while cleaning up the coffee house that afternoon. “All I know about him is that he likes french vanilla cappuccino and doughnut holes. Has a daughter, and gorgeous blue eyes.”
Maggie laughed. “Stella, relax. If it’s meant to be, it will be. Something will happen and you’ll know. Don‘t you believe in fate?”
“Mm, not really.” Stella cringed as she finished her half of the shop. “I think you kind of make your own future.”
“Suit yourself.” Maggie smiled.
Stella grabbed her things from the back and walked to the door. “See you tomorrow, Mags.”
“See ya.”
Stella stopped in front of the daycare and hurried in. She waited at the door of the two-year-old room for Harmony’s teacher to gather her things.
“This is our two-year-old room.” stated a voice behind her. “This is where Jade will be staying.”
Stella turned around to see the daycare’s director and the man that had been occupying her mind for the past week. This time he was holding his daughter.
“Hi.” Stella smiled.
“Wow, um, hello.” he answered back.
Harmony’s teacher opened the baby gate for her to leave. “Bye Mona.” Stella picked her up, but couldn’t moved because the director, the man ,and his daughter were all blocking her in.
The director spoke up, “Mrs. Daniels, this is Martin and this is his daughter Jade.”
Then she reached over and shook the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you.” Her hand switched to Jade’s hand. “And you too, Jade.”
“Excuse, Miss Sterling, we’ve trapped her in.” the director spoke up.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” the man apologized as he moved out of her way. Stella walked down the hall and went to sign Harmony out. Then, as she was headed to her car the man caught up to her.
“Hey!” he called to her.
She stopped. “Yes?”
“Is she yours?” he asked nodding to Harmony.
“Yes.”
“Interesting. Um, oh, I’m sorry. I’m Perrin.” he smiled. “This is Jade.”
“The director said it was Martin.”
“That’s my last name. I think she thinks it’s my first name. I signed the papers; she should have read-”
“In that case, I’m Estella and this is my daughter, Harmony” Stella answered back.
“Are you two busy?” he smiled. “Or would you be interested in joining Jade and I at the park?”
Stella smiled. “That sounds fun.” Maybe she did believe in fate after all.
At the park, the two pushed their daughters side-by-side on the kiddy-swings and talked. Then finally the subject arose.
“Where you married?” Perrin asked Stella.
“Do I look old enough to have been married?” Stella laughed “How old do you think I am?”
“I don’t know…twenty three, four-ish? Am I close?”
“I’m nineteen.” Stella corrected. “You?”
“Twenty-two.”
“Were you married?” she shot back playfully.
“Engaged…once.” he smiled.
“And what happened to Ms. Right?” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them so Stella hoped it was nothing too bad.
“Let’s just say I don’t make a load of money.” he grimaced.
“Well, you know where I work. What about you?” she asked.
“Ever heard of the Atlanta Journal?” he smiled.
“You work for the newspaper?”
“In a way. I wanted to be a writer. I love to write, but they have me working janitorial staff right now and running assistant errands and other nonsense. I’m that guy that comes running at the snap of the writer’s fingers.” he sounded annoyed. “I planned to start low and work my way to the top, but not that low. I guess their teaching me humility.”
“You think Gilly’s is my dream job?” Stella asked. “Think again, but it’ll get better.”
“It already has.” he smiled. “I’m pushing my little girl in a park swing next to a lovely girl who hasn’t walked away due to boredom yet. I‘m getting somewhere.”
Stella looked down embarrassed.
“Tell me about you.” Perrin pressed.
“What about me?”
“Where’s Harmony’s father?”
“I don’t know. Florida.” Stella didn’t want to scare Perrin away, but she didn’t want to lie to him either. She swallowed her pride. “I used to be a heroin addict. I just did what I had to for drugs.” She paused. “I mean, I didn’t sleep with people for drugs or drug money, I just slept with him so he’d let me stay there and he had the drugs.”
He didn’t answer immediately.
“I’m not proud of it.” Stella added. “It just happened.” she found her courage some. “And I’d like to think I’ve come far since them.”
“I think you have.” he assured. “I would have never guessed that about you.”
“Actually, I’m surprised you’re still standing there. You know my past and that I have a daughter and you haven’t left with a flash of light.”
“Do I come off as that shallow?” he grinned.
“No, no, just most people aren’t interested after knowing that.”
“I’m going to judge on character, Stella. What do you say to dinner?”
Stella now thought this guy was insane or just waiting for a chance to dump her off politely. They went to dinner and enjoyed themselves, neither mentioning the things they talked about earlier in the park. Then it was off home in different directions for both of them. Stella didn’t sleep well that night. She tossed and turned and dreamed of the pretty blue-eyed boy she’d spent most of her day with. He was incredible! Far more than Stella had ever dreamed of, well, maybe not, but more than she ever let on.
Days, turned to months, and Perrin and Stella grew closer. Then one night, away from the girls, the two went to the park again. Perrin stopped in the middle of a field and looked up. “Look, you can see the starts tonight.”
“Cool.” Stella smiled before pulling Perrin down into the grass next to her.
“Stella means ‘star.’” he smiled.
“I know.” she smirked back. “They’re beautiful, aren‘t they?”
“Then you were well-named.” Perrin complimented.
“Thank you.” Estella smiled.
Perrin put a hand on her cheek and turned her face away from the stars to look at him. “I think I should ask this while you’re still flattered. Umm, Estella?”
"Yes?"
He pulled a velvet box out of his coat pocket. “Will you marry me?”
----------
-Seda*
November is National Adoption Month!
This message was edited 11/24/2005, 1:15 PM
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