What Matters

"Michelle, is that you?"

Michelle Torrance jumped and turned around. "Sheila. Oh my goodness. It's been like what a year?"

"Two." Sheila Casswell looked her old friend up and down. "You look...good. I don't think I've seen that purse in any store around town."

"Oh, I took up crocheting. It's so easy. I can do it watching TV even. I found the pattern online and decided to try it."

"Oh well..." Sheila took in the garish colors. She would have never chosen the oranges and yellows but that was just her. "It's interesting."

"Picking up your coffee? You have time for a chat?" asked Michelle, gesturing with her head to an empty table.

"Sure, not doing much today. Just wanted to stop by the fabric store."

"You still quilting?" asked Michelle in an odd tone. "You don't get bored with it?

Sheila, a petite brunette, shook her head. Her dark hair was cut short and she shed her coat as she sat down. "Oh no. I've made quilts for all my family, including grandchildren."

"I saw you have a new grand-baby. She's precious."

Sheila's blue eyes danced. "Thank you."

Michelle took a deep breath and when she looked down at her coffee, her messy blonde bun bounced, almost threatening to fall in her face. "I don't know how you can keep at it. All that cutting, all that matching, trying to figure out patterns."

"That's right," said Sheila. "You were doing quilting for awhile."

"Yeah."

Michelle grinned at her old friend. "Life is too short to get locked into one thing, right?"

(Two weeks later)

Sheila Caswell was nervous. She always got nervous when she entered one of her quilts into a contest. This one was holiday-themed, just in time for Halloween. She made herself leave the quilt store and go back to her car. She was on the sidewalk when she saw Michelle. The woman's blonde hair was done in shades of blue and she wore tons of cheap jewelry. Michelle spotted her and waved. "Sheila, hello."

"Hey. What happened to your crocheted purse?"

"Oh, got tired of it. Actually, just sold all of the yarn I had on e-Bay.

She tilted her head, making her earrings jangle. "I used the profit to buy me a jewelry making kit. I can make anything. Necklaces, bracelets and earrings." She fiddled with a heavy necklace consisting of over-sized quartz crystals. "All my own design. I don't like copying the stuff in those beading magazines. You like?"

Sheila didn't have the heart to tell her no but Sheila preferred delicate chains and small pendants. She rarely wore dangle earrings. "It's nice. So you're making jewelry now?"

"Yes. So much more fun and less boring than crocheting. So tedious."

"Right."

"So..." Michelle pointedly looked at her friend's empty hands. "No fabric you liked?"

'There's a contest I entered with new holiday quilt. The fabric shop is hosting the contest so I just dropped it off."

"Oh..." Michelle's brown eyes went to the door. "I'll bet you win. You're so dedicated."

Sheila felt awkward, not knowing what to say. She cleared her throat. "Thank you. Different people are judging the quilts and in three weeks, come with me."

"Maybe." Michelle headed to her vehicle and was gone.

Sheila doubted seriously she'd see Michelle at the unveil but three weeks later, Michelle was waiting for her on the sidewalk in front of the fabric store. Sheila almost didn't recognize her. Her hair was an intense black, making her brown eyes lighter somehow. She was wearing all black and she looked bored.

"Hey. Where's your one of a kind jewelry?"

"Tossed it. Got tired of it."

"Michelle, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? I think I look good in black."

Sheila kept her opinions to herself. "Well come in. No point standing out here." They went inside and if Michelle didn't notice the looks, Sheila did. But when she saw the red ribbon pinned to her quilt. She'd made second place and she was thrilled.

"It looks professional."

Sheila didn't miss the envy in Michelle's voice. "Takes practice."

"You don't think I know that? I'm just not good at anything."

"Yes, you are."

Michelle shook her head. "No."

"Do you remember that pottery shop we went to in high school? You made some amazing things."

Michelle shook her head. "No." Then she was gone.

Sheila sighed, accepted her second place award and agreed to let her quilt hang up in the store until after Halloween, already planning this year's Christmas quilt.

Every once in a while, she'd run into Michelle and she'd be doing something different, from coin collecting to wood carving but she never seemed happy.

It was due to social media and the fact that they’d befriended each other many years ago, that Sheila remembered Michelle’s birthday. She found a new pottery shop one town over and one of its promotional give-ways was a free two-month membership for anyone who liked crafting with clay and other materials. 

Sheila got it for her and put it in a certificate box, then wrapped it in tissue paper, then slipped it in a glossy gift bag. She used fabric remnants to make a one of a kind bow, then using a specialty font and blank tags, made a tag for Michelle. Then called Michelle up to invite her to brunch. 

Michelle looked different again. Her black hair was gone, and her once long hair was cut extremely short. She seemed surprised Sheila had remembered her birthday and downright shocked to receive a present. “What is this?”

“Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.” Michelle took out the tissue wrapped box and undid the paper, then opened the box. She read the certificate and frowned. “That was so many years ago, Sheila. It got boring.”

“No, it didn’t. I remember how excited you were when we’d go. Try it. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. I just wanted to make you happy.”

“I am happy.”

Sheila really didn’t want to argue so she just nodded.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

“You love to make things, you just have to find what you love to do. How many hobbies have you gone through in the last year?”

Michelle carefully put everything back like it had been and set the gift bag by her chair. “It’s like I don’t have the spark anymore.”

Your spark wasn’t in your ex-husband.”

“What do you know? You’ve been married to Jack for umpteen years.”

“Michelle…”

Michelle shook her head. “I keep wondering why. Why he cheated on me with a girl half his age? Why he thought he had to be so cruel. I loved him.”

Sheila didn’t know what to tell her friend, a dozen platitudes popped in her head but she didn’t want to say them. “Michelle, reinventing yourself won’t bring him back.”

“What if it does?”

“Michelle. I like you just the way you are and any sane man would like you just like you are.”

Michelle shivered. “You’re just…” She looked at Sheila. “You mean that, don’t you.”

“I told you twenty years ago, he wasn’t the person for you.”

Michelle took a deep breath. “You did. How did you know Jack was the one for you?”

Sheila smiled. “I didn’t. He did. He loved me like I was a princess, catering to anything I wanted or wished for.” She felt her smile falter. “Neil wanted you to treat him like a king.”

Michelle wiped her eyes, smearing her eyeliner. “I know.”

“So why do you still hold onto him. Find yourself, find your joy.” Sheila’s face went warm. “Sorry, not trying to preach.”

“No, you’re a good friend, Sheila.”

Sheila nodded.. “Happy birthday, Michelle, be yourself.”

(late December, a year later)

Sheila felt frustrated since none of her teenage children would give her an inkling of what they wanted for Christmas and here she was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to find stuff for a fourteen-year-old girl, and two sixteen-year-old  boys. 

She was trying to get back to her car before the worst of the snow fell. She nearly collided with someone clad in a cashmere coat, her blonde hair windblown and she was laughing, talking on her cell phone. She turned as Sheila tried to sidestep her and Sheila blinked. “Michelle?”

“Hey!’ She turned to her phone. “Call you in a bit.” She hung up. “Sheila, just the person I wanted to see.”

“Oh?”

“I didn’t remember if you had moved or not. I know your old address but didn’t see your car there. Anyway, here.”

It was a box roughly ten inches long, twelve inches wide and eight inches deep. Sheila juggled her packages and managed to unlock her car. “Thank you.”

“Let me help.” 

Michelle took the packages and set them on the back seat. Then she stood there, waiting for Sheila.

“You want me to open it now?”

“Yes.”

Sheila set her purse in the driver’s seat and ripped off the pretty paper. She opened the box and pulled an item out of the box. It was a perfectly detailed lighthouse painted in the colors of the town’s lighthouse. “It’s beautiful.” 

“I remembered you love them.” 

“I do. I love this one.” She tilted it, expecting to see a sticker on the bottom but there was none. Instead unlike the lighthouse and its base, the bottom was rough and unpainted. Michelle’s full name in cursive was on the underside along with a number and a date.

“It’s one of a kind. Just for you.” Michelle gave her an embarrassed look. “I’ve been making figurines and selling them, some painted, some not. And I decided you’re right. Neil is gone, I’m done with him. I’m not grieving anymore so I pulled out all the clothes he gave me and decided I would wear them, like this coat.”

“Good for you.”

“Thank you.” Michelle hugged Sheila. “You snapped me out of my funk.”

“So...no flipping through crafts every week or so?”

“No. Working the clay keeps me busy. And I have people sending me orders.”

Sheila smiled as Michelle walked away, being herself. That was all that mattered.