“It looks like there’s gray, blue, pink, and green available in stock. The red is available for online order, but we’re sold out,” Emily explained. She started to hand back the sweater, noticing the woman’s face was progressively turning a darker and deeper shade of red with each passing second.

  “I can’t believe you’re treating me, a paying customer, like this,” she shouted.

  “What would you like me to do about this?” Emily asked, feeling annoyance seep into her every pore. She hoped it wasn’t coming out in her voice, because that definitely wouldn’t help the situation.

  “Go and get me a red one,” she snapped.

  “The closest store that has a red one for sale is two hours away,” Emily explained. “You’re free to drive there. I can even place a call for them to hold one for you.”

  “Either you need to drive there to get it for me, and deliver it today, or I need my gas tank filled and compensation for five hours of hourly wages.”

  “I can’t do either of those things,” Emily explained. Was there an award for having the patience of a goddess, because surely she was earning it today? The woman who was waiting for her order looked back and forth between Emily and the customer as though watching a riveting game of tennis. She had an amused quirk to her lips. Emily couldn’t blame her. Looking in on this situation was funny.

  “I can’t believe you’re treating me this way. How is this place still in business?” Emily opened her mouth to respond, but snapped it closed as the woman continued. “I need to speak to the manager.”

  Emily closed her eyes, though she nodded her head. She’d happily pass this customer along, but then she’d be forced to have yet another interaction with her manager. He might be slightly better than this woman, but they were comparable. Maybe their strong personalities would cancel each other out. She knew that wasn’t true, but a woman could hope. This would be a long day, she told herself. She wasn’t wrong about that.

  “Free at last,” Emily mumbled. She untied the apron around her waist and shoved it into her work locker, grabbed her purse, and started toward the door. She hurried when she heard Jeff’s voice off to the side, a couple aisles away. She didn’t want him to see her and try to get her to stay later. They were always short-handed lately — they really didn’t pay well enough for retention to be worth it — and Jeff seemed to think working double shifts was an appropriate solution. That might be acceptable occasionally, but it wasn’t sustainable long-term.

  Emily ducked around a shelf and took a detour to the front. She smiled when his loud voice faded into the distance. Any direction was the right direction if she couldn’t hear him any longer. She started toward the garden center exit to avoid any chance of an interaction with her boss today.

  The sliding door flew open as she approached. Emily smiled into the open air of the garden area, alive in greenery and flowers. The sweet scent of blooming flowers wafted up through the air, permeating each and every crevice. She loved this area of the store more than others, though her requests to work there were always declined. Jeff hated this section so much that, if he had the power, he’d do away with it in a heartbeat.

  Emily trailed her finger along one of the large leaves as she meandered through the green aisles. She stepped through the gated opening of the chain link fence and hurried to her car, near the back of the lot. Workers were required to park in the back three rows so they didn’t take valuable parking from paying customers. Just another opportunity to get a little exercise in, she told herself, though she couldn’t help but resent Jeff having a parking space in the front row of the parking lot or the fact that there were always at least twelve empty rows between her car and the actual spaces where customers parked.

  Driving home after a long day at work was an autopilot event. At times, how little thought she put into the whole experience scared her. She pulled into her space at home.

  Leo, Joel, and Emily lived in a small single-story house on the outskirts of Portland. The house wasn’t in the best condition, with peeling paint and a moss-covered roof, but it was home.

  Emily smiled when she realized that both Uncle Joel’s and Uncle Leo’s cars were already there. She was just in time for a family dinner with her favorite people, and she had quite the story to tell them today. At least her suffering led to some level of entertainment.

  “Leo? Joel?” Emily shouted as she entered through the front door.

  “Em! We’re in the kitchen,” Joel shouted. Emily smiled and hurried around the corner to the small cooking space. Joel was at the stove stirring something, while Leo was chopping a salad. They made quite the domestic sight, and Emily loved it.

  “You’re just in time for dinner,” Leo said. “Would you set the table while we finish?”

  “Of course,” Emily responded. She moved to the cupboards to grab several plates, silverware, napkins, and glasses. It was simple work getting the space arranged for the three of them. Moments later her uncles joined her at the table with food in hand.

  “This looks delicious,” Emily said as she scooped a portion onto her plate.

  “Leo wanted to try a new recipe,” Joel replied. “You’ll have to let us know if it’s worth keeping.”

  “All of your recipes are worth keeping,” Emily said, directing her comment toward Leo. He grinned in response, but didn’t say anything.

  “That’s what I always say, but Leo needs to hear it from multiple people,” Joel said with a grin. “Now tell me about your day at work.”

  Emily told them about her crazy customers, ranting and raving about the way some people felt it was okay to treat others. Joel hemmed and hawed at all the right places, while Leo casually cussed out the man who’d made Emily feel uncomfortable.

  “I’m so dang sick of this deadbeat job,” Emily whined. She put her head down on the table in her folded arms and let out a huff. “The crazy customers are never-ending, while my patience gets thinner by the hour. I’m going to snap and end up TikTok-famous for all the wrong reasons.”

  Leo chuckled while Joel nodded his head in understanding and said, “Maybe you could use your newfound fame to garner some excitement for a poetry book launch?”

  “Of course you’d say that,” Emily said. She lifted her head and shook it. “I have to finish the poetry book, find an agent, then find a publisher before a poetry book even falls onto the radar.”

  “Well I can’t help finish your poetry book, though I’m always happy to read and give input, but I can help on the agent and publisher front.”

  “What do you mean?” Emily asked. She pushed her plate to the side, ignoring the pile of carrots that were now mush after she’d smashed and swirled them more times than she could count.

  “Leo and I spent the last month making some lists for you,” Joel said. He hurried to his desk in the living room, pulled a folder from the right side, strode back to the table, and sat again before he slid the manila file folder across the smooth wooden surface.

  Emily picked it up, flipping it open to reveal neatly typed pages of names with email and mailing addresses, as well as information required for submissions. “W-when did you have time to do this?” she asked, her voice wavering.

  “We made time while you were at work. That’s why it took so long. We had to do it around our work schedules and yours so we could surprise you,” Leo explained with a shrug. He stood and gathered the dishes, carrying them to the sink. Leo didn’t like to be around when people started to get emotional, so he tended to keep busy during such moments.

  Joel and Emily shared a fond smile as Leo left them. Emily turned back to her uncle and said, “Thank you both for such a priceless gift.” She reached across the table and grasped his hand. “I don’t know if my writing is good enough for any of this, but I love that you both believe in me enough to go to all this effort.”

  “Let us have enough confidence in your abilities to make up for your lack of faith in yourself.”

  “I suppose you won’t give me another choice,” Emily said with a smile. She’d always adored their enduring belief in her. She walked over to her uncle Joel and bent down to wrap her arms around his shoulders, pressing her cheek to his in a hug that had become all too familiar over the years.

  “Of course not,” Joel said. “It’s our job as your stand-in parents to believe in you at every opportunity.”

  Leo bent over the sink and scrubbed the dishes, carefully placing each one in the drying rack on the counter. Leo was particular and didn’t think a dishwasher could possibly do a good enough job, hence the hand-washing. He glanced over at the hugging duo and said, “You should share the other news with Emily.” He then bent his head back down, focusing on the few remaining dishes.

  “Other news?” Emily asked, pulling away from the hug and looking at Joel’s face, trying to discern any clues. Her task wasn’t successful.

  “I was going to tell you on your birthday,” Joel said, sending an annoyed glare toward Leo, “but since you now know there’s a surprise, I might as well give it to you early.”

  “Her birthday is way too close to the date of the event anyway,” Leo said pragmatically. He grabbed a towel and dried his hands. “Emily flies by the seat of her pants at times, but that would stress her out.”

  “I suppose,” Joel reluctantly admitted, glaring at Leo’s back as he passed them and headed into the living room.

  “So what’s this great mysterious gift you’re both hinting at?” Emily asked. She leaned her elbows on the table and stared ahead at Uncle Joel imploringly.

  “Well, it started at work the other day,” he explained. “I was helping a man with his 1960s Jaguar, and we started to talk about our families. I mentioned my beautiful niece who’s quite the bookworm, and he told me about this opportunity he has through work.”

  “What kind of work does he do?” Emily asked. She loved hearing Joel’s work stories. He always met the most interesting people, and his passionate explanations were entertaining.

  “He does a lot of work in advertising,” Joel said. “His company was given some chances for a drawing, but it’s not really my area of interest. He figured since you love books, and because I fixed his baby, he could give me his chance to enter.”

  “A drawing to do with books?” Emily asked. “Color me intrigued.”

  “So I gave him our contact information and entered your name. I didn’t tell you about it because I really didn’t think anything would come of it, but here we are with a winning entry.”

  “You still haven’t told me what the prize is,” Emily said. She bounced in her seat in anticipation. Whatever it was, it sounded like it was perfect for her, and she was so excited for something fun to break the monotony, even if the “fun” had to wait until after her birthday in several weeks.

  “So impatient,” Joel teased. “I’m getting there. Didn’t anyone ever teach you that patience is a virtue?”

  “They must’ve forgotten that lesson,” Emily snarked back, though the smile on her face betrayed her amusement.

  “That’s probably my bad,” Joel said with a chuckle. “Anyway, back to my story. It’s some kind of all-inclusive trip to a book conference. I have the email with all of the information, and all of that would make more sense to you than me. The main gist is that you have airfare to Denver, a hotel room, and a ticket to the fancy conference going on there in April.”

  Emily’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. “That’s Cupid’s Quill Symposium,” she whispered. “You really got me tickets to Cupid’s Quill Symposium?”

  “We sure did. Come on, tell us who your favorite uncles in the world are?”

  She laughed with pure joy, greatly needed after a hellish day at work. Then she threw her arms around both of them and had to fight tears. This was the conference of the year that she could never afford.

  “You know you both are! I love you both so dang much. Thank you.”

  “Ah, you know you’re the light of our lives,” Joel said, sounding a bit emotional himself. She was going to the best conference ever. Bring on the crappy customers. She no longer cared. Nothing was going to bring her down from this high ever again.

  Chapter 3

  Serene was one way to describe Patricia Bennett’s neighborhood. Living in upstate New York, she had a beautiful home, surrounded by other beautiful homes. It was a peaceful drive, with empty streets, no crime, and little to complain about. Miles preferred their old Colorado home to it, honestly, but Patty tended to make any space home.

  Miles pulled into the familiar driveway. Waiting on the porch with arms crossed stood his twin brother, looking the picture of impatience.

  Mason started speaking before Miles opened the door fully, “Look who decided to join the party.”

  Miles pulled himself from his Mercedes SUV and looked up at his brother who was walking toward him from the little two-story house their mother owned. Mason’s long legs carried him toward the car in quick strides. Miles grinned at his twin and started to walk, cutting the space between them. Miles opened his arms wide as Mason threw himself forward. They hugged for a moment before pulling away.

  “Long time no see,” Miles said. “You’re looking pretty good.”

  “You only say that because you look the same,” Mason said with a roll to his eyes, though judging by the smirk on his face he wasn’t at all annoyed by the comment.

  “I don’t know,” Miles said. He reached forward and playfully punched his twin’s stomach, where underneath his clothing hid an impressive six-pack that hurt his knuckles a tad, though he’d never admit it. “I definitely don’t have anything like that.” Miles patted his own stomach, which was a bit softer than his brother’s due to his sedentary career choice.

  “That’s because you’re a super nerd,” Mason said. He threw an arm around Miles’s shoulder, and Miles returned the favor.

  “Better than an airhead jock.”

  “Former airhead jock,“ Mason said with a laugh. “I retired three years ago, remember?”

  “If you retired you wouldn’t attend every sporting event under the sun.”

  “Haven’t you heard? Everyone wants to know my expert opinion. I’m called the NFL darling by some magazines!”

  “They just haven’t realized what an airhead you are,” Miles teased, shaking his head.

  Mason playfully bumped against Miles with his shoulder. “Come on. Mom’s waiting for us. She has some busy plans for her birthday and we’ve been waiting around for you to get here.”

  Miles lifted his wrist and checked the time. “I’m five minutes earlier than I said I’d be.”

  “And according to Mom, that makes you about thirty-five minutes late,” Mason explained. He threw his head back with a chuckle. “You know how she is about timeliness. If you’re not early by a longshot—“

  “Then you’re late. I get it.” Miles cut his brother off. “I’m on a schedule. I can’t drop everything to be here. She’s lucky I was able to make this work.” He rolled his eyes and gave Mason a pointed look as he followed him through the front door of their mother’s home. It was a charming place that exuded warmth and joy. Mom bought it when they were teenagers and she was rightfully proud of herself. She’d spent years turning it into a perfect home by making her garden, having them help her build a porch, and even painting it a bright and cheery yellow.

  “Your work is portable,” Mason replied, turning back to give Miles a pointed stare.

  “My portable work still requires a lot of effort,” Miles said. “Not everyone can live their life doing what they want and working when the fancy strikes.”

  “You say that, but if you didn’t set such a rigorous release schedule, you definitely could do such a thing. Don’t be jealous that I’m smarter about scheduling work than you are.”

  “Do I hear my boys fighting already?”

  “No, Mother,” Miles and Mason said in unison, turning toward their mom as she entered the room. Miles hurried over and wrapped her in a bear hug, being careful not to squeeze her too hard.

  “Mom, it’s so good to see you,” Miles said.

  After a moment, Patty pulled back from the hug but stayed close, holding Miles’s shoulder and taking a look. Her hazel eyes, that matched their own perfectly, twinkled, conveying the happiness she felt. Patty lifted a hand to her head and brushed a strand of her graying black hair behind an ear. “I’m so glad you both made time for me. I’ve missed my boys so much.”

  “Mom, we just saw you for Easter,” Mason whined. He plopped down onto the couch, spreading his legs wide, taking up nearly two seats worth of space.

  “That was one evening; for more than a month now I’ve been left on my own by the boys I ruined my body to deliver,” Patty said with a dismissive sniff. “If it was up to me, I’d see each of you at least weekly, but I’d settle for twice a month.”

  “I try to see you monthly,” Mason bragged. He glanced at Miles when their mother looked away and waggled his eyebrows with a smirk. “Miles should be working to get to my level of devotion, but I suppose his attitude is to be expected from the youngest child.”

  “Youngest child, my ass,” Miles grumbled, yelping and ducking as Patty moved to whack his head due to the language that came out of his mouth. “You’re three minutes older. I wouldn’t say you’re a towering spear of wisdom or world experience compared to me.”

  Patty plopped herself down on the couch beside Mason and patted the cushion beside her pointedly. Miles followed the non-verbal command and seated himself on the other side of his mother. “I’m so glad the two of you came. I miss you both something fierce. My life isn’t as exciting as what you both have going on.”

  “What do you have on the schedule for today? You were pretty secretive about our plans when I called last week,” Miles asked.

  “That’s because I know how flakey the two of you can be when you’re not interested in plans, and I wasn’t going to have either of you back out. You’ll find out what we’re doing as we do it,” she said with a hard nod.

 

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