Chapter 7

The ride home went smoothly. Mimi and Belle had one thing in common; Shawn, but they made the most of it and kept the conversation going. “How did you and my brother meet?” Mimi asked. Belle broke out in fits of giggles “he is such a goofball! He came into the salon for a week straight for haircuts. I swear I would have shaved him bald if I thought it would have got him to quit!” Mimi laughed “welcome to Shawnland population one!” Belle smiled turning to Mimi as the car pulled into her driveway “Thanks Mimi, I hope we get to be good friends.” Mimi returned the smile pulling Belle into a hug “we will sweetie, my brother has no plans of letting you go anytime soon.” Belle blushed “would you like to come in for a while? How long will Shawn be checking out that horse?” Mimi looked temporarily confused, but quickly covered it “sure I’d love to come in! Are you sure it isn’t too late?” Belle shook her head with a goofy grin across her face “naw; it always takes me forever to wind down after I’ve been out with Shawn anyway. I’d enjoy the company.”

Inside the girls sat comfortably chatting away about how much Shawn cheated at the board games earlier that evening. “He’s so obvious about it you can’t help but let him do it!” Belle exclaimed. Mimi laughed “yeah I guess it isn’t to cute when you’ve been losing to him all your life because of it though. He’s always cheated!” Mimi noticed the twinge of thought coast through Belle’s eyes. She had the same window eyes as Shawn; Mimi could read her thoughts through them. “No! NO! I didn’t mean it like that! I’ve never known him to cheat on a girl, just games and competitions!” Mimi shook her head as a sad look spread over her face “my brother wears his heart on the outside. If he’s interested in something, or someone, he jumps in with both feet. And I’m always there to pick up the pieces when his heart breaks. I hate having to do it, it hurts me too. Shawn deserves happiness after everything he‘s been through. I hope he finds it someday.” Belle watched the emotions on Mimi’s face intently wondering what had put the look of pain there. “Has Shawn been...hurt....a lot?” Belle asked, feeling as if she was spying on him by asking his sister about his personal life.

Mimi looked up wide-eyed. She couldn’t believe she had been pulled so deeply into her thoughts. “What about your family Belle? I haven’t heard anything about them and I don’t see the normal array of pictures around here that most people would have.” Belle decided it best to drop the subject, obviously Mimi didn’t want to discuss it. With a heavy sigh she looked towards the floor. “My parents died when I was eight. My brother raised me.” Mimi bit her bottom lip, she hadn’t realized the subject was so awful to Belle until it was already out of her mouth. “I’m sorry sweetie, I didn’t know.” she laughed a little hoping it would break the barrier again. “My big mouth strikes again!” Belle’s lips formed a tight forced smile at Mimi’s attempt as the two sat in uncomfortable silence. Belle was the first to break the silence, she trusted this woman even though she had only met her this night. “They were driving drunk.” she whispered as she lowered her head to her hands and began to sob. Mimi wrapped her arms around Belle’s neck pulling her close “I bet your brother is a wonderful guy. It must have taken a lot for him to decide to raise you. How old was he at the time?” Belle sniffled trying to stop the tears “Eighteen, just barely old enough for the judge to give him custody.” Belle let out a weak smile, “he tried, he tried so hard. It wasn’t easy for him I’m sure, but he always came up with something.” Mimi nodded “that’s what brothers are for, I got a big brother too ya know!” Belle’s smile began to get stronger “yeah”

Mimi sat back wondering what she should say next. For once in her life she was going to think before she spoke. “I really shouldn’t tell you this, I mean it’s Shawn that you are involved with, but...” Belle looked up at her with expectant eyes. Mimi continued “our parents left us. They took us for a Sunday trip to grandma’s one week and never came back. I mean they’re still alive, at least I think they are, but we haven’t seen them since. Granny was too old to raise us; she couldn’t even get out of bed. It was my brother that raised me too. When granny died we just stayed at the farm, nothing changed. We’d been to close for to long and we were all that each other had. I can never repay him for it, but I will always try.” Tears were now streaming down Mimi’s cheeks as she spoke “I owe Shawn my life and I took away his.”

Belle gasped at hearing the words she’d thought to herself for so many years. “I’m sure Shawn doesn’t think about it like that Mimi!” She tried to sound convincing, but with the same agonizing thought plaguing her about her own brother she wasn’t to successful. “Where is your brother Belle?” Mimi whispered “He isn’t here, still taking care of you like Shawn is with me. He must have been able to do the healthy thing and go on with his life, God I wish I could let Shawn!” Belle’s breathing shallowed considerably as the events played through her mind. “He left me too.” she said simply. Mimi gasped “Oh my God, he didn’t...did I stick my foot in my mouth again?” Belle shook her head sadly “No sweetie, he just left. We got in a fight one night. It was stupid really. I was nineteen, I wanted to go out on a date and he said I couldn’t go. We started fighting...I told him he wasn’t my dad. After he stared at me for what seemed like forever.... Oh God, I could see the pain in his eyes, but I was being selfish. He agreed with me that he wasn’t my dad. He apologized for not doing a good enough job with me, and then he turned around and walked right out that door. I haven’t seen him since.” “Have you tried to find him?” Mimi asked. Belle continued to stare at the same flower pattern on the couch “At first I was too stubborn. Then I was heart broke that he never even came to check on me. Now its just been to long, I wouldn’t know where to start looking.” “How long has it been since this happened?” Belle’s tears were getting the better of her “I haven’t seen Brady in six years.”

Mimi sat in thoughtful silence giving Belle time to collect her thoughts. When she heard the girls breathing return to normal she reached over taking her hand. “I tell you what sweetie, we are gonna be two women with a mission.” Belle looked up with questioning eyes so Mimi continued. “You are going to help me set Shawn free. I can’t think of any better woman for my brother so that will help.” Belle smiled but Mimi wasn’t done. “In return, I am going to help you find your brother.” Belle was the one to pull Mimi into a hug this time. “Mimi, I can see us being really good friends. With or without Shawn.” Mimi laughed as she held on tight to her new friend. Belle added a quiet “Hopefully with!” Mimi was glad to hear it.