My Sister's Shoes (Little Black Box, Book 1) (15 page)

“Yes. I’m fine. When I visit in a few weeks, I’ll buy a house near yours, but I’ll never give up New York.”

“We don’t have a house yet, Adrienne. We rented a small apartment by the hospital.”

“Oh, right. About that.” Adrienne reached for her purse and fished inside. Pulling out what looked like a greeting card, she handed it to Allie. “Since I never got you an engagement gift, I signed a blank check for your first house. Pay for it in full, okay?”

Victor’s mouth hung open. “We can’t accept this, Adrienne. I can provide for Allie.”

“I know you can, Victor. I can only hope I find a man who loves me as much as you love Allie. It’s ironic how all my life I chased after men because they had money. Now they’re after me. I don’t know if I’ll ever find my happiness.”

Allie walked over and threw her arms around Adrienne. “You will find your happiness, Adrienne. I promise.”

A few hours later, Allie handed the movers her last box. Saying good-bye to Adrienne before she left for the offices of The Chadwick Foundation was harder than she’d anticipated. As she stood in the middle of the home she once shared with her mother and Gregory, a tear slid down her cheek. She felt Victor’s arms wrap around her waist as he pressed his chest to her back. He ran his lips over her cheek and murmured in her ear, “You all right?”

“Yes.” She rotated her body inside his embrace to face him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” He ran his thumb over her cheek.

“You never asked me any details about how we met. For you it was in your dreams, but for me it was here. In New York City.”

He slowly nodded his head. “The details don’t matter. We had a miracle, and we should be thankful. Besides, I believe we would have met no matter what.”

“You do?”

“Yes, I do. My mother called yesterday. She is coming to New York next week to visit her friend, Sue Manford. It seems they have a mutual friend who is not doing very well. She’s in Longwood Hospice House.”

“And being the good son you are, you would have accompanied her to Longwood.”

“Exactly. I would have spotted an angel like you right away and wasted no time asking you to dinner.”

Allie giggled. “I love you, Victor. And I’m really happy.”

“I bet you’ll be even happier when medical school is over.”

“I would imagine I’ll be ecstatic.” She kissed his lips.

“I love you, Allie. You ready to go?”

“Give me a minute.”

Allie went into Adrienne’s messy bedroom and rolled her eyes. She scanned the room for the best area to place her gift for Adrienne. Deciding the makeup table was the best spot, Allie sat down and pulled out paper and pen. As she tapped the pen to her chin, she stared at herself in the mirror, admiring the woman she’d become. Her skin was radiant. Love shown from her eyes and happiness oozed from her pores. And she wanted the same for Adrienne. Confident in her decision, Allie put words to paper.

Adrienne,

I know my story was difficult to understand, and you’ve always been gracious about your belief in me. I was told I was unable to pass this on to a blood relative, but I realize now you, my dear sister, not being of my blood, are the perfect recipient for the little black box. May your search for happiness be as rewarding as mine. I love you.

Allie

Twenty minutes later, Allie had her suitcase in hand. Victor placed his hand on the small of her back, escorting her to the door. “Take one more look around. Forget anything?”

Allie scanned the room. On the entry table she spotted a Manolo Blanick shoebox. She smiled and walked over to the table. Opening the box, she removed the shoe that started it all. Holding it up, she still thought it was the most beautiful shoe she’d ever seen. Looking inside she found a note that read
Want these?

Allie shook her head at Adrienne’s humor and looked at Victor. He was her future, the shoes were her past. Dropping the shoe back inside its box, she put the top back on and walked toward the door.

Victor looked over her shoulder. “You’re not taking those?”

“Nah. Those are my sister’s shoes.”

The End

Publisher’s Note

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Cherrie Mack grew up in New York, the youngest child of six. The city’s diversity gave her a great appreciation for many different cultures and lifestyles. After love finally claimed the girl from the city and dragged her to the suburban madness of Long Island, she settled into a quiet life with her new husband. Two children and one mini-van later, the family found themselves moving toward the sunny skies of Florida where they currently reside. With her focus still very much on her family, Cherrie squeezes in time to write. The publication of her work has given her the confidence to spend more time writing and less time cooking and cleaning.