Thread on Arrival (22 page)

I have to give Mom credit for passing along to me my love of textiles, though. When she was home, Mom often allowed me to come to the studio and help work with the fabrics. She’d wanted me to go into fashion and costume design. A rebellious little snot at the time, I’d told her I wanted a “more stable and reliable” career. Mom said I’d be bored with a reliable career. While I’d admitted that accounting wouldn’t be as exciting as dressing Hollywood’s A-listers, I asserted that it would allow me to be home for my family, should I ever be fortunate enough to have one. I told you I was a rebellious little snot. That comment had hurt Mom. And I’d meant it to. At the time, I wouldn’t have taken it back for anything in the world, even if I could have. Now that I was a wee bit older and wiser, I regretted it.

During my rebellious late-teen years, I even stopped going to Mom’s studio. It was like I was spiting her, but I was really hurting only myself. I hadn’t realized that until I was in college. I’d come back to the dorm one evening to find Sadie laboriously trying to embroider a pair of jeans. I took over the task and rediscovered my love for the craft. Still, I was too proud to admit that to Mom, so I’d sucked it up and embarked on my career in accounting.

I found the chandelier earrings I’d been looking for and put them on. Taking one last imaginary puff from the cigarette holder, I placed it back in the jewelry box.

I called Angus to me and put his black bow tie around his neck. Then I batted my lashes at him and imitated Bette Davis: “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”

ABOUT THE
AUTHOR

Amanda Lee
lives in southwest Virginia with her husband and two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. She’s a full-time writer/editor/mom/wife and chief cook and bottle washer, and she loves every minute of it. Okay, not the bottle washing so much, but the rest of it is great.

Also by Amanda Lee

The Long Stitch Good Night

Thread Reckoning

Stitch Me Deadly

The Quick and the Thread