Chapter 23 – Shopping with Mom

Finally, Kenny was sent to be in foster care at the Goodwill donation store in big green plastic garbage bags. At least all my male clothes, colognes, etc. I saved the nice jewelry like my watches and rings and decided what to do with those later. I still some credit cards and I.D. cards in my male wallet, and I pulled them out to put in my female wallet. Kenny did leave me some nice charitable tax deductions that I appreciated.

Mother did an incredible job with my closets and chest of drawers. Everything, I mean everything, was organized. I mean, organized! My work clothes, evening dresses, skirts, casual tops, cute tops, and bottoms in their respective places. I was happy but even more amazed.

This evening neither Mother nor I were hungry, so we decided to have a salad and a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner.

We slept in on Wednesday, well, for me, at least until 8 AM. I put on my makeup and fixed my hair to go shopping with Mom. Before I got dressed, I went to make a pot of coffee.

I heard Mother say, “Coffee smells wonderful!”   I took her a cup to her room.

Breakfast? I think I have cereal,” I said. Mom wanted oatmeal.

“Mom, this is a gigantic Mall. Wear comfortable shoes for walking.”

During breakfast, we talked about what I needed to shop for that I need for work. I made a list on my phone.

“I have plenty of bras and panties. I think I have enough jewelry and plenty of heels. I do need more pantyhose and concealer. Let us window shop, then have lunch. This mall has some of the cutest stores. I could spend days there.”

Mother and I arrived at the mall about fifteen minutes before it opened at the Nordstrom end of the mall, so we started there first. We looked in a couple of widows until the store opened.

“Mom, this is so much fun shopping with you. Look its opening, and we watched the grated door rise open. “How many stores does this place have, dear?”

“I don’t know for sure. But I’m sure it must be a lot larger than the one in Atlanta.”

“See anything you need, Mother?” 

“Not yet, dear. I sure wish we had one of these malls near us at home.” Mother said excitedly.

Mother wanted me to look at a couple of new business suits and pull-over tops for them.

“Let us see if Sally is here. She is my favorite saleslady. She will love you. And you will love her. She is so precious.” After a few minutes of browsing, I saw Sally and waved at her. She hurried over with a big smile and hugged me.

“Hey, Savannah, how are you?”

“Fantastic, thank you for asking. Sally, I’d like to introduce you to my beautiful Mother.”  They exchanged compliments.

“Savannah is my favorite customer, Mrs. Thomas. She is so much fun to help. May I show you something? We have a lot of new cute cocktail dresses you’d love?”

“I need something a little more demure. I need some professional business suits for work and tops. (I whispered to her about the augmentation surgery and that I wait for blouses.) She nodded; she understood.

“Are you shopping for anything, Mrs. Thomas?”  Mom said she let her know if she saw anything.

“Suits or separates?”

“Both, but mainly suits, I think.”  Sally led us to the area of the young professional’s clothing.

“Savannah, browse here. I’ll be right back. I have to grab a suit to give to a customer. Back in two minutes.”

Mother began pulling out items and looking at them but put them back. She had three pieces before I found one; then Sally returned.

“I think these would look darling on you, sweetie.”  Sally showed back up.

“I love these suits, Mrs. Thomas. We can hardly keep them in stock. This designer’s suits are so well made, extremely comfortable, and beautifully cut. Wish to try those on Savannah? Size zero, right? I will find them for you. If we do not have them, I can have them here on Thursday or Friday.”   Sally spend several minutes looking for my items and found all of them. She led Mother and me to the fitting rooms, and I started to undress as Mother sat outside. I had just pulled up a skirt and was zipping up the side hip zipper when Sally reached over the top of my dressing stall and said, “Savannah, here’s a couple of tops too.”

“Thank you, Sally.”

I tried on two skirt-suits, two jackets, and two more skirts and a couple more pairs of pants. Mother said, “this may be one-stop shopping, sweetie.” Mother left to find Sally and asked her to find me some more fitted blouses. I came out of the dressing room wearing the suit, A-line skirt and jacket, and satin tank top.

Mother whispered they were her gift to me and for being such a loving daughter.

“No! Absolutely not, Mother! You cannot buy me all this. And I don’t need gifts to love you.”   But I knew in the back of my mind I may not win.

“Please allow me to put it on my Nordstrom card so I can get the points; let me get the tops?”  No affirmation from Mom.

Sally called the tailor. One by one, piece by piece, the tailor did her magic. Sally followed me to the dressing room. She came in and told me alterations were free because of my points. Most only needed the skirts hemmed to whatever length I wanted them, and the waists were slightly taken in.

“You are so sweet to me, Sally.”

Sally and Mom talked, and I heard her ask if I had a promotion since I usually come in only for casual and evening clothes.

“Yes, she did. A big one. I’m here to celebrate with her.”

“You have such a bubbly and beautiful daughter, Mrs. Thomas. Savannah does not need any alterations. Just the skirts hemmed. This designer’s cut is perfect for her amazing body.”

“Both my daughters are the love of my life.”  I felt some tingling goosebumps all over my skin, hearing that. Sally finished talking to the tailor. She told me I could pick everything up Friday afternoon.

I paid with my Nordstrom card. Mother asked to see the receipt. I hugged Sally and said I would see her Friday.

“It was so nice to meet you, Mrs. Thomas. Hope to see you again.” With her usual sweet smile.

“Lunch here at their Bistro, or Neiman’s or Saks tea rooms, Mom?”

“Let’s stay here; we can try the others another day if you want. I’ve never been to any of them.”  I told her she would love them all.

During lunch, I asked Mom,

“So Mom, what’s going to happen to Kenny?”

“I thought maybe he relocated to Europe, married, and decided to stay. I am still thinking about it. What would you like to happen to your old self, Savannah?

Laughing, I said, “I’ve already sent him to the Goodwill foster homes and turned him into a tax deduction. Unless part of me is still living in old clothes boxes, you put in all my male clothes in the garage?” I wondered to myself, are those boxes even still there? “I do not know, Mom.  Europe sounds good so far to me. Has anyone even asked about me? Kenny existed up through High School. I seem to recall me being from Atlanta and you being my adopted Mom or cousin. Has anyone ever asked or questioned?” 

Mother injected, “I don’t recall anyone ever asking about Kenny since your Father’s funeral; no one except maybe one or two at church since High School. I guess they think you moved away for a job.”

After lunch, I stopped by Sephora to pick up some more lipstick, mascara, eyeliner, eye shadows, and concealer. Mother loved Sephora. I told her she could shop online, and they had a fantastic return policy. And they will send a bunch of beautiful samples based on what you like based on your profile. I asked one of the Sephora cast members to test Mom’s skin and give her her beauty number.  Next, we walked around, and I showed Mother the mall or at least a small part.

“Savannah, I see why you need comfortable shoes to come here. This mall is enormous as she looked up to the third story.”

Another light dinner at home, and we sat and drank wine and talked about my upcoming breast augmentation surgery and what I had needed and what I need to do to prepare. I always love Mom and cherish her advice.

On Saturday and Sunday, I had to get ready for my new life and work on Monday.

Next:  Getting ready for my new life at work.

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Category: Fiction