Delia looked at her.
Eleanor spoke carefully.
“Eleven years before I owned one machine.”
That part was not Eleanor’s story.
It had been her mother’s.
But she needed Delia to hear it.
“A welder can fix iron.”
“The machine is broke.”
Eleanor touched Delia’s fingers.
“Your hands aren’t.”
Delia cried harder.
“Don’t pack up.”
Eleanor nearly told her everything.
“There’s something I should’ve said back at that bus bench.”
Delia shook her head.
“Not today, ma’am.”
“Delia.”
“Please.”
She sat beside the ruined machine.
“I just want to sit here with Mama’s machine.”
Eleanor nodded.
“All right.”
She stood.
“I’ll be back before that wedding.”
Delia wiped her eyes.
“And I won’t come alone.”
Outside, Earl saw Eleanor’s face.
“What happened?”
Eleanor looked toward Paige’s car disappearing down the street.
“The test is over.”
“When?”
“Monday.”
She climbed into the car.
“Everything after that has just been an old woman moving too slowly.”
Julian confronted Paige that afternoon.
“You went to Delia’s shop.”
Paige froze.
“How do you know?”
“You skipped lunch. My father noticed your car.”
She folded her arms.
“So?”
“I was there yesterday.”
No answer.
“You stepped on her hand.”
“It was an accident.”
“You laughed.”
“Oh, please.”
“And before anyone searched her bag, you said the little side pocket.”
Paige stared.
“Lucky guess.”
“No.”
Julian shook his head.
“You knew.”
She stepped toward him.
“You’re taking a seamstress over me?”
“I’m trying to understand who I’m marrying.”
“The day before our wedding?”
“There’s no wedding if I don’t understand.”
Paige’s face changed.
Then she pulled up her sleeve.
A red line marked her forearm.
Julian frowned.
“What happened?”
“She did.”
“Who?”
“Delia.”
Julian stared.
“I went to her shop this morning to make peace.”
Paige began crying.
“She came at me with scissors.”
“She wouldn’t.”
“I called the police an hour ago.”
Julian’s face went pale.
Paige stepped closer.
“And who speaks for her?”
He said nothing.
“That old homeless woman?”
Paige laughed bitterly.
“Go find her.”
She touched his chest.
“Here’s how it goes.”
Julian stared at her.
“Tomorrow you stand at that altar.”
Her voice lowered.
“After the honeymoon, maybe I remember things differently.”
He understood.
“Or?”
“Delia goes to jail.”
Julian stepped backward.
“You’re threatening me.”
“I’m saving our wedding.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“You’re telling me exactly what it is.”
Julian drove straight to Odessa Alterations.
He found Delia sitting beside the broken sewing machine.
“She did this?”
Delia nodded.
“This morning.”
“Was anybody here?”
“An older woman.”
“Name?”
“She never told me.”
“Address?”
“No.”
