A Morning in Manhattan

“All Done!” Alice smiled as she reread the 70 names, written in the small black notebook, one last time. Then, satisfied, she set it down gingerly on the edge of the coffee table. Jack, her old, fat, and half-deaf beagle was sprawled out lazily on the living room rug. Alice bent down to scratch behind the ear he could no longer reach with his bad leg. Jack leaned into her, grateful for the help.

Alice sighed. “Three months, Jack. Three months and our whole lives are about to change: and, there’s still so much to do.”

She yawned, while she pulled the copper linked cord of the lamp beside her. Then, she got to her feet and made her way into the bedroom.

The sun was especially bright, when she woke up the next morning. Alice rolled over and read the time on her alarm clock.

“Shit!” she said.

The clock read 7:30 am. She had waited weeks for this appointment. And, who knew if she could book another in time. She threw the covers off, with such force that they spilled onto the floor.

Alice slid in the bathroom. She’d have to skip a shower today. She quickly brushed her teeth, pulled her dirty hair into a bun, put on the T-shirt and jeans she’d worn the day before, fed Jack, and quickly left the apartment.

Alice looked down at her watch. It was now 7:42am. I can still make it, she thought. She hurried to the elevator and pressed the down button several times. She waited a long moment; and, when nothing happened, she rapped the button half a dozen more times.

“The elevator’s been out all morning,” a voice winned behind her. It was Mrs. Peterson. The widow from down the hall.

“Thanks, Mrs. Peterson,” Alice replied.

“Well you know how these properties are managed. I’d be surprised if the Sup even gets to it today.”

It was clear to Alice that her neighbor was going to continue on about how things “used to be” in her day. She had lived in the same apartment for 40 years, and her day had been a very, very long time ago.

“I’d love to chat, Mr. Peterson, but I’m running late for a very important appointment. We’ll have to catch up some other time. Have a great day,” she waved and raced to the stairs.

She hurried down the ten flights to the main lobby. Taking just a moment to catch her breath, she checked her watch, again. 7:50am.

“Shit! Shit. Shit. Shit!” ..she muttered. She pushed through the revolving door, now nearly in a panic, onto the street. She mentally weighed whether or not she should hail a taxi. No, not at this time of day. Traffic was sure to be gridlocked. The subway was a much better option. She’d be late, but hopefully her mother could stall long enough for her to get there.

It was 8:11am, when Alice finally made it to the front desk.

“I’m here for an appointment with Miss Blake!”

“Name?” the receptionist asked.

“Alice Reed.”

The receptionist peered down her long nose at Alice’s rumpled appearance.

“Yes,” she said. “You’re very lucky that your mother was on time. Even so, another 4 minutes, and we would have moved on to more...serious clients.

“I’m very sorry, Ruth,” Alice replied, reading the name printed on the pin the receptionist wore. “It won’t happen again.”

“No. It won’t.” Ruth gestured down the hall. “Second door on the left.”

“Thank you so much,” Alice said before hurrying away.

“There you are, darling!” Her mother stood to greet Alice, as she walked through the door. “This is Miss Blake.”

The woman behind the desk could only be described as radiant. Long auburn curls bounced on her slender shoulders. She wore a tight emerald pencil skirt with a matching blazer, and just a hint of cleavage peaked out the top of the white blouse beneath it. Her eyes were also green, but bright- almost citrus, in shade. Her voice was stoic, when she spoke, but her expression was the same as the woman at the front desk. She was obviously annoyed.

“Shall we get started?”

“Yes! Let’s,” Alice said.

Miss Blake rounded her desk, her heels clicking against the very expensive looking tile and crossed the room to a long wooden table, where a number of small pastries were arranged.

“Now,” Miss Blake began. “You don’t have to choose the design today. I’ll send you home with our full catalogue and there are hundreds of options to choose from. Technically, you are required to choose the flavor today either. But, I would highly recommend that you do, while the taste is fresh in your mind.”

Alice and her mother tasted cake after cake after cake. 40 minutes later they had sampled everything from lemon to pistachio; and, Alice was feeling quite full.

“Well...what do we think?” Miss Blake asked.

Alice turned to her mother.

“Don’t look at me, sweetheart. It’s your wedding.”

Alice nodded, before returning her gaze to Miss Blake. “The Ginger Spice was my favorite, but I suppose it’s a bit strange for this time of year. And, it might be a bit out there for some people. I think a more traditional cake would be best. Let’s go with the Red Velvet.”

“Excellent!” said Miss Blake. “How many guests are you expecting, dear?”

“Umm, about 70. Or at least that’s the number of invitations that I’ll be sending out.” Alice silently thanked herself for finishing her list the night before. At least she had done one thing right. Planning her own wedding seemed like the practical choice at the time. But, she was still in debt, and was now wondering if the stress was worth the absence of one more bill.

“Yes, but there are always surprises, when it comes to weddings. Someone’s bound to want to bring a new boyfriend or girlfriend or a cousin who’s unable to find a sitter,” Alice’s mother pointed out.

“Your mother’s right,” said Miss Blake. “Better count on 100. Besides, newlyweds often like to keep what's left over to share with coworkers and neighbors who weren’t invited or to freeze for later.”

She pulled one of the many catalogues from the desk towards her and began circling page numbers from the index.

“These are the ones I want you to look at. You shouldn’t take more than a month to choose a design. Just call the office, when you’ve made a decision and we’ll send the bill. All of the prices are listed on the page. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have another appointment.”

Alice and her mother said their thank yous and left the room.

“Mom, I’m sorry I was late. I slept..” Alice’s mother stopped her before she could finish.

“Alice, no apologies. This will be the happiest day of your life. You’ll see. All this stress will be worth it. Oh! I have a little something for you. Be sure not to open it, before you get home. Just keep it in your pocket, until then. You don’t want to lose it.”

Alice’s mother folded a white envelope and shoved it into Alice’s jeans.

“Gotta run,” she said and kissed Alice’s cheek. “I love you, and I’ll see you next week.” She waved goodbye and rushed outside, heading to her next destination.

“Okay! I love you too,” she called after her mother.

Alice decided to walk the 20 blocks, back home, to her apartment. The route she took went right through the park. The trees were peaceful and the spring blossoms so fragrant and inviting. What was in the envelope? She wondered. And why should she wait, until she was home, to open it? She pulled it from her pocket and sat on a bench beneath a large oak.

‘I’ll just take a peak,” she whispered.

Alice read to note on the front of the envelope, before opening it. It read, “To my daughter. Here’s to help you two get you started. I love you.”

“Hmm,” Alice shrugged. She flipped it over and tore it open.

When she saw what was inside, Alice gasped. She sloppily folded the envelope back up, and returned it to her pocket. Then, continued her walk home. She was right: her life was about to change forever. And, her mother was right too: she didn’t want to lose it; and, she certainly didn’t want anyone to see it. For inside the crumpled envelope resting in her pocket was a check. A check in the amount of $20,000 dollars.