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RELUCTANT PRESS

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TWO LITTLE GIRLS

By JENNIFER SUE

ing, she slipped them onto her feet and closed the snap at the buckle.

Standing up, she twirled in a circle, reveling in the feel of the skirt swirling about her thighs! With a happy giggle, she hugged Helen, and gave her a kiss on the cheek!

Helen couldn't have been more delighted. The ornery, belligerent youth she had been hired to raise, the very boy who had made her life miserable for two years, had been miraculously transformed into a lovable, polite little girl!

"May I please call you Mommy now," Shelley asked softly as she retained her hug about Helen but looked into her face with wide, hopeful eyes.

Helen blinked back tears of joy. "Of course, sweetheart," she responded with a warm hug and kiss. "I'd feel honored if you'd call me Mommy."

The duo hugged for several seconds before separating. "Let me do something with your hair," Helen suggested. "I think a matching set of ponytails would look really cute with that outfit."

"Oh, do you think so? I'd just love that! Can you please show me how to do it," Shelley almost begged.

"Of course, darling," Helen replied as she led the girl to the dressing table.

Handing the comb and brush to the eager girl, Helen instructed Shelley how to first brush her hair straight, then to part it down the center. Next, she learned how to gather each side together into a clump centered just above and behind her ears. It proved a bit tricky to master wrapping the ponytail tie about the bushy hair to secure the ponytail in place, but Shelley was a fast learner and had little trouble doing the second side. Shelley then discovered that it takes a bit of wrestling to form a length of pink ribbon into an adorable bow to cover the plain hair ties.

When they were done, both were pleased with the wideeyed little girl innocence that Shelley projected. Once more, hugs were in order before the duo descended the stairs to join Cindy and Fred.

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