Shoes and Turtles

The backseat of Gwen's car was bouncy and comfortable; perfect for Addie to wistfully stare out the window as they made their way to the mall.

"You both have really nice cars..."

"Well yeah," chirped Gwen, head flicking to and fro as she made a turn, "Kate's the best. Between her and our scholarships, we're pret-ty well off, I like to think. Even when we were little, she was determined that we'd need for nothing, even if she put her foot down about some of our wants. Kept us humble."

"Yeah, 'humble,' that's what comes to mind when I think of you preening in the mirror for hours." Charlie snickered, taking a bop on the shoulder in stride.

"You hush, you Baywatch hussy. Sometimes it's fun to just put on makeup and watch my ass jiggle." The siblings laughed, but little Addie turned as red as a third brake light. That did sound fun, but no way was Addie going to say so out loud. Gwen bit her lip, grinning at the mix of guilt and pride she felt anytime she got Addie flustered. Watching the cutiepie in the backseat squirm through the rearview mirror was turning into a fun game for her.

~

In the heat of summer, the mall was respectably busy, but nothing compared to the dangers of Christmastime. Being near crowds clearly put Addie on edge, the small girl tying herself to Gwen and Charlie more like a child than a companion. The siblings didn't mind at all, flanking Addie as they walked to act as a buffer between strangers.

"Is there really a store here that's going to sell travel closets?" Addie was unused to raising her voice to be heard over the din of people.

"For sure," confirmed Charlie. "If we get a big one, we might have to get it delivered instead of taking it with us."

The prospect made Addie fret. "Th-then don't get a big one!"

Gwen giggled, bringing an arm around Addie for a hug as they walked. "We'll see what all is available before we pick one, but it's going to be your wardrobe, Addie. You get to pick, but don't pick the tiniest one just out of modesty! Trust me, we wouldn't offer to take you shopping if we couldn't hack it."

"Pretty sure Mom would get onto us if we took you out and only went for clearance and cheap deals," Charlie added.

"But... but..!" Addie huffed and pouted, incredibly frustrated that her two friends were so determined to be one-sidedly generous to her.

Gwen just rolled her eyes, quickly wracking her brain to find a solution for her shy baby friend. "Look, uuuuum... if it'll make you feel better about it, why don't you buy us dinner?"

...

No sooner did the words come out of Gwen's mouth did she immediately regret it. Money was the whole problem! Gwen started to apologize and backpedal, but Addie's gears were turning.

"I don't think I could afford that," she mumbled, starting to nibble on the knuckle of her finger. "But... I could probably make you guys dinner, if you'd like that. Buying ingredients is significantly less expensive than going to a restaurant."

"Oh, you cook?" Charlie sounded surprised, if only that Addie hadn't mentioned any talents yet. She nodded calmly.

"Of course. I helped Mom a lot with chores back home, including cooking lunches and dinners for everyone. Dad and my brothers couldn't tell my or Mom's cooking apart anyway, so they probably didn't notice."

"I'm down, let's do it!" Gwen just wanted the matter resolved, happy to take any avenue that eased Addie's worries. "But let us buy the ingredients, okay? I wanna taste Addie's cooking, so let that be repayment!"

"Oh, but... that's not very much—"

"If you like," Charlie interjected, "You can cook for us whenever we come to visit. Y'know, planning in advance and as ingredients allow."

Addie took a moment to think it over. Cooking for them often meant friends visiting often, and she was pretty confident she could give them a meal they would find comforting. A smile crept onto her face, the young lady nodding to her friends.

"Okay! We'll see after today. It wouldn't be a very fair promise if my cooking is subpar."

The siblings gave a cheer, sharing a laugh with Addie. With that out of the way, they could finally get to shopping!

Thank goodness the trio started off with shoes! Addie's bargain bin flats didn't provide any support or cushion at all, and trying to march from one end of the mall and back again would have been a nightmare without better footwear. She of course decided on a go-with-anything set of black sneakers, but the way her face melted when she stepped into comfortable shoes was reason enough for the siblings to grab them up.

It was also quickly made a rule that Addie was to be kept from price tags and receipts as much as possible. No fret, only shop!

If nothing else, Gwen and Charlie had at least gotten Addie accustomed to the concept of browsing, even if they struggled to get her to actually pick things out. Anytime one of them suggested she grab some colorful blouse or cute shirt, she always had the same response:

"Oh, that's okay! Charlie just gave me so many clothes already!" She said it with a chipper smile and a radiant, innocent glow about her, so the siblings couldn't really press too hard. That didn't stop them from secretly snagging a top here or there, one sneaking off to buy it while the other distracted her with questions about what to get for dinner. Chatting about food came calmly and naturally to Addie, and she was quickly ready to offer suggestions on possible sides to go with any mentioned entrées.

~

Something else Gwen and Charlie soon noticed about Addie; anytime they actually got her to open up and claim to want something, anything at all... she stopped looking through that store. They picked up on it when the three of them looked around at a particularly pink and cutesy jewelry boutique. Almost immediately, Addie gasped and plucked a tiny item off one of the shelves.

"Gwen, Charlie, look! They're little turtles, aren't they cute??" Like a kid in a candy shop, Addie held up a pair of twinkling green and silver earrings vaguely shaped like turtles. Most of the items in the store were geared for girls a little younger than Addie, but none of them had the same childhood as she did. Addie was nineteen. She'd only been a girl for a year. She didn't have the middle school or high school years to enjoy wearing girl clothes, do girl things, or fawn over cute turtle earrings. There was a lot of catching up to do.

"Aww, they're adorable!" Gwen squealed along with her tiny new friend, matching her hype. "You're gonna get them, right? Oh, and they're even clip-ons! Your ears aren't pierced, right?" Addie's face paled in realization, though she bounced right back.

"No, I've never worn earrings before! Thank goodness for clip-ons, I don't think I'm ready for any needles." She shuddered at the thought, but couldn't keep a smile off her face. She was doubly glad to see that her new favorite earrings were also nice and cheap, so she felt no guilt in asking to get them.

And then... she simply went idle. Suddenly, Charlie and Gwen were taking the lead in looking around, Addie happily commenting and laughing along as they shopped, but no longer sought anything else out in the store.

Charlie nudged Addie, brow slightly knit. "Addie, was there anything else you wanted to look at?"

"Hm? But I've got these!" Addie held up her turtle quarry, making them jingle against their packaging. So cute.

"You don't have to just get those, y'know."

Before pushing further, Addie and Charlie were both startled by plastic being jammed on their heads. Gwen grinned playfully, all three of them suddenly sporting gaudy flower crown headbands. "Selfie time! Get in here, kiddos!" Addie and Charlie looked at each other, watching bubbly smiles curl onto their faces.

With Addie in the middle, the three of them smushed together, snapping a photo of one of Addie's earliest and happiest memories of her life.

Hours upon hours of shopping later, Addie was contentedly sitting on a bench, keeping watch of the menagerie of bags they'd collected going from store to store. Gwen and Charlie had scampered off for a bathroom break, giving Addie time to rest her feet and catch her breath. What a day! She hummed to herself, feet kicking out as she drew out her phone. Catching her reflection, she noticed what a goofy grin was plastered on her face. How embarrassing! Still, she couldn't bring herself down from the fluffy warmth tossing around in her chest after such a wonderful day.

It had been a while, so maybe Gordon would like an update.

'Hey Bubby! :) '

The response was almost immediate. Diligent big brother.

'Hey Addie! Are you okay? I take it that smiley face brings good tidings?'

'It does! I made some friends. We're out shopping right now.'

'That's awesome! :D Praise be that the Lord would finally shine a little light on you. Anyone I know?'

Addie figured it would be easier to show him rather than just type away. She sent him the selfie Gwen had forwarded to her before continuing.

'That's Gwen on the left and Charlie on the right. They're the sweetest people I've met in a long time. You've been praying for me, Bubby, and I think He answered.'

A pause this time. Gordon typed many times, clearly starting over and trying again.

'Charlie? Charlie Richardson?'

'Oh, do you know him?? He seemed surprised that I didn't recognize him when we met.'

_'Yeah.' _That was an oddly terse response for Gordon, even in text form, but he continued.

'He was all over the news some time ago, something to do with the TTP stuff you got involved in. If he's not told you himself, I won't gossip about the man. Anyone who takes care of you is good people in my book. I wouldn't start asking if he's not bringing it up on his own, though. It's probably a touchy subject.'

A news story about a TTP member? How strange, considering they'd been so emphatic about Addie being tight-lipped about the in's and out's of their procedures. What could they report that wouldn't violate their NDA? Gordon was right, though... if Charlie wanted Addie to know, he'd tell her of his own volition.

'Of course, I won't pry. Thank you for the warning! I just wanted to say hi and let you know that I'm doing okay today.'

'I couldn't ask for better news, Addie. Highlight of my day. You have fun with your new friends, and be sure to thank them for me! Let me know if you need anything, as always.'

'Bless you, Bubby. Love you!'

'Love you too, sister.'

As if on cue, Gwen and Charlie returned to find Addie with tears falling on her lap. She worked fast to ease their concerns, that she was quite happy. Hopping off the bench, she gave each of her new friends a tight hug, thanking them on Gordon's behalf as requested.