Fashion Emergencies.

After a while, Sue exits the office with a long piece of clothing draped over her hands. She calls Tara from the other working room from opposite the main room where she stood with Raya working on some documents not far from her.

"Ma'am. I already dropped the mini clothes on your desk in your office."

"Yeah, I saw them. This is why I called you." Sue unfolds the cloth in her arms.

Tara and Raya look at the cloth, positively surprised. "Is this...?" Raya trails off, apparently recognizing the cloth as what she started but gave up on a few days ago.

The flowery pattern of the gown remained very beautiful and yet the flay had lace attached at the bottom. Giving it a classical yet trendy look.

"This is extremely beautiful boss." Tara comments gleefully.

"Thanks dear. And Raya..." Sue turns to face Raya who couldn't take her eyes off the gown still held out in Sue's hands.

"Yes?"

"Don't ever give up on any piece of clothing. Little adjustments here and there just might a mighty difference and get you something even better than you thought." Raya nods slowly. "So, Tara, we will add this clothing that started from Raya's mind..." Sue winks at Raya "to the collection. Although not a main piece, it'll make a good addition. So Raya, good work." Sue smiles at her and gives it to Raya who takes it, smiling.

Sue walks back inside her office and closes her doors.

"See you smiling. Do you still think she's pretending to be a good person? I don't think she's pretending though."

"Stop looking for words from my mouth. I take back my words. Is that okay for you now?" Raya retorts, glancing at Sue's doors.

"Who knows? She might have just been a victim of circumstances. Don't judge her until you know her full story next time." Tara teaches and jogs away, somewhat reassured of whom her boss really is and happy that Sue gave her a reason to believe in her.

Behind the closed office doors, Sue slides down the door frame and stares silently at her work machine, her eyes far away.

Earlier, Sue had wanted to come out of her office to give Raya the dress but had overheard what Raya and Tara were discussing. The fact that they spoke of her past reminded her of what she had gone through in those cruel people's hands before she could liberate herself.

Although Sue's happy with her life, and Ashley as a whole, she sometimes wonders if her life would have been different if she had refused to help Alexa with the test that night.

On the table, Sue's phone pings and she stands up to go check what's up. She picks up her phone and sees a message from her fashion show planner.

"I think the venue is ready. Now we need the clothes and models. >wink< you will do this well Sue dear. Don't let what the world says bring you down.

XOXO."

Sue smiles at the timeliness of the message and mentally picks herself off the ground and reassures herself about the fact that she's many miles away from them. She had never even looked online for them to check any news about them.

Sue values her morals and values and life with Ashley more than making some regrets drag her back down.

She dials her planner's number. She picks on the third ring. "Hello Stella... I just got your message. It was pretty timely."

"Its totally fine." Stella's voice rings out from over the phone.

"So... What else do you think we need to make it a memorable night? Many fashion icons, models and critics will be there that day. I cannot afford to botch it."

"You know you can say "I cannot afford to fuck it up" you know?" Stella teases over the phone.

Sue just chuckles. "Stop teasing me and answer the question already."

"Duh, spoilsport. Anyway, I've gone to see the place and the setting up of all the final stages will be done between tomorrow and Friday. So everything will be just peachy for Saturday. How are the clothes and models coming along?"

"All is well. Just remains to finally make the clothes. Every other thing is ready. I'll be pulling all nighters from now till Thursday so I can finish all the clothes. And for models, they are all ready."

"Will you know who be modeling for you?"

"I hope so. She wants to see the cloth first before finally agreeing but it's very likely all the same. We go back a long way so just formalities."

"Stop bragging about your rich and wealthy connections. I get it. I'll see you maybe Friday when you come to do the final touching to the venue right?"

"Sure. You'll see me then. Bye."

"Bye bitch." Stella says and hangs up fast before Sue chides her for using "foul" words.

Some old habits die hard. Such as refraining from using cuss words, most especially the f word. And the b word that Stella just used.

Chuckling again at Stella's acts, Sue drops her phone and grabs the mini clothes on her table. She turns them over in her hands.

She checks the time. It says "2:43pm."

"Omg. I'm almost late to pick Ash up."

She grabs her keys, bag and phone after throwing the mini clothes into her bag. She steps out and locks her office.

"Tell Tara I've left. Has she carried the bundles to the car?"

"Yes, she has. Leaving early?"

"Yes. I have to pick Ash up if not she will give me an attitude. I don't know where she gets it from."

Raya laughs and waves her bye.

Sue arrives at the daycare at the nick of time. She picks up Ash who's all smiles and happy.

"Mama!" She shouts shrilly and runs awkwardly into Sue's hands. Sue grabs her off the ground and spins her in the air, earning herself a happy laughter.

She tucks Ashley into the baby chair in the car and goes around to the driver's seat. It was a shirt ride home with mother and daughter dancing and singing along to the alphabet songs on playlist in the car. All in all, the view is nothing but cute.

Arriving at home, because Ash must have played all day, she just ate dinner and went to bed early. Sue immediately sets to work, knowing that once Ash wakes up at night, there's no time to work anymore until late morning when Ash sleeps back again.

She goes back to her car and pulls down the large bale of fabric from the trunk of her car and started lugging it by herself.

"Uhm... Need some help?" A man offers from beside her car.

Sue turns around and looks straight into startling blue eyes. He has an easy smile and seems to genuinely want to help. With Sue alone, it'll take ages to get the bale to the elevator, not to talk of to the entrance of her apartment.

"I'd appreciate it." She quickly replies.

Both of them grab the bag at different ends and carry it in sync to the elevator doors that were still open on the fifteenth floor of the apartment building.

"I really appreciate the help you're rendering to me." Sue thanks him earnestly

"Its totally fine. It would have been rude of me to see you pulling this human weight alone and just leave. So no, thank you for letting me help you." He replies with a small smile.

Sue laughs lightly.

"Well, you're welcome then."

"I'm Earl. I stay in this building and apparently you do too."

By now, the elevator was on its way down, at the second floor already.

"I'm Sue..." She starts as the elevator pings it's arrival. They both lug the bag into the small space.

"...and I live here too." She presses the fourth floor button. "Won't you press what floor you're going?" Sue asks Earl.

"Oh. I'm going to head to my apartment after I make sure this weight is safely in front of your door. It won't look good if after I leave you, you break your back while pulling it. I mean, it does look like it could break a person's back." Earl jokes and Sue smiles in appreciation.

Upon arrival the the fourth floor, they both pull the bag to Sue's door. Sue, being cautious, decides that's more than enough already. "You've been a great help. I got it from here." She thanks him and politely tells him to leave as well.

He takes the hint and nods. "I'm sure you've got it. Goodnight." He says and turns to leave. "Ah, just so it won't seem like you were the only one who shared locations, I stay on the sixteenth floor." He says and gets into the elevator, giving Sue no time to reply.

She nods to the thin air and pulls the bag behind her inside the room.

Hold on a minute.

This apartment building has sixteen floors so he stays in the top floor.

The Penthouse?

Sue facepalmed. She had just acted cocky to the owner of the building. Her landlord.

"What a day." Sue mutters to herself as she closes the door behind her.

Getting inside, Sue gets to work, cutting the clothes in different fabrics, joining the little parts, recutting and repiecing... Over and over and over again with different fabrics until Ash's muffled mumbles bring her back to reality.

She stops her work and goes to meet her daughter who's wide awake and walking around and around the room. Sue smiles widely and picks her up and rests her on the top of her shoulders.

"Baby bear, what is it?"

"Play."

Of course. Sue carries her to where she was working and surrounded Ashley with toys so she won't be a distraction and both of them would be working at the same time.

Her phone on the machine vibrates. Its a new message from Tara.

"Sorry to disturb you at this late hour but it's an emergency. The main model just messaged me. She said she won't be available on Saturday for the show. I looked online and saw that B&F has booked her on that Saturday as well. And she's seen their cloth and loved it. Because she hadn't seen ours, she declined. I'm sorry. Goodnight. Regards to little Ash."

Sue groans loudly and Ash mumbles some gibberish to her. Sue smiles at her sadly.

She picks her phone and dials Tara.

"Hello Tara. I got your message."

"I tried to convince her that out cloth will be way better than B&Fs but her mind was made up."

"Its fine. Call her again, and ask her to come over to the company tomorrow at around 2:30 to 3pm. She will be able to see the cloth then."

"But... Tomorrow is too early. You just started tonight." Tara sounded worried

"Its completely fine. I'll finish between tonight and early tomorrow morning. I should be at work by 1pm after I get a little sleep. And if I don't finish it, she'll get to see most of it at least."

"Alright then. See you tomorrow."

Sue sighs heavily and grabs one particular fabric she hadn't even started on.

I really have to do this.

She glances at Ashley who's engrossed with her teddy bear and drinks an entire cup of coffee.

"I hope it'll really be a good night" Sue mutters to herself and starts cutting.