"Hello, Margaret," Laura said, walking into the room. Today, she was helping the pastor's wife with making plans for the upcoming church picnic. Laura sat down in one of the chairs around the conference table, as Margaret handed her several sheets of paper.
"Going for a new look?" she asked Laura.
"Huh?" She saw Margaret pointing at her hand.
"I don't think I've ever seen you so tan before."
Laura looked at her hand. Was she more tan than before? She didn't think so. She was always that tan, wasn't she? She had this nagging feeling that Margaret was right, but her memories told her otherwise.
"Well, I think it suits you," Margaret said. "You need a bit more color. Pale skin just isn't healthy."
Laura was confused. She was pale white? When? She shook her head, thinking that Margaret must have been mistaken. After all, with all the clothing she wore, how could Margaret tell how dark or light her skin usually was?
They continued making plans for the picnic until they were finished, just before noon. It was a painstaking process, but it was worth it. Laura now had the rest of the day to herself. But first, she decided to go out to lunch with Margaret.
She looked up from the stack of organized papers in front of her and was momentarily confused. Was Margaret's skin that tan before? She remembered that it had always been much paler than her own, but she could have sworn that Margaret had nearly pale skin when she came to church a few hours ago. Now, it looked like she had been sitting in the sun for a few hours. And now that she noticed it, was her hair a little darker too? She could have sworn that the pastor's wife had sandy blond hair, but it was looking a little darker for some reason, almost a light brown.
Laura shook her head, thinking that maybe she was seeing things. She looked down at her own hand when she handed the stack of papers to Margaret. Her skin now had a rich tan, as if she normally sunbathed on a regular basis. But she didn't do that sort of thing. No, that was her normal skin tone ... right?
"I'll drive," Margaret offered.
"Great," Laura said. "I'll be right there. I just need to use the restroom first."
"Okay," Margaret said, then left the building as Laura headed towards the women's restroom.
