Page 78 of Where Are You Now
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Ava’s mother held up a perfectly sewn bag.
“I had a well-drawn pattern to follow,” Cammy said.
Ava leaned on the counter and inspected the bag. It was great work. “So how much would you charge per bag to sew the entire thing?”
“It didn’t take long on our machines. Probably twenty dollars a bag?”
Ava turned to her mom. “Let’s say materials cost about twenty a bag, and then Cammy can sew them for twenty. You could sell them wholesale for eighty, the boutique owner can sell them for a hundred and twenty, and you both still make forty dollars’profit.”
“Could I get a hundred and twenty dollars for this bag?” Martha asked.
“I think so,” Ava replied.
Cammy agreed. “It’s a beautiful pattern, and I’ve never seen anyone use this diamond bottom before.” She flipped the bag over to reveal the quilted end. “It’s really genius for wear.”
“With your forty dollars profit on each bag, after you’ve made a few extra, we could set up a marketplace with a couple of small retailers and run a few ads to get the line in front of more people. You could have your designer line that’s already made, and made-to-order, where you’d charge more. With you and Cammy sewing, you can get double the bags done. And we could even call Dorothy at the church to see if she’d be a good fit to fill the gaps.”
“You’re good at this,” her mom said.
Ava grinned. “I have to work this out with our clients to determine their growth models.”
Her mother put her hands on her cheeks, happily bewildered. “I’d never imagined my little bags could do all this.”
“You’ve created a great product,” Ava said. “And I can help you sell it. We can go as big or small as you’d like.”
Her mother giggled excitedly.
Ava was eager to get her hands on the assignment. This little grass-roots side project was just what she needed to jumpstart her creativity. She’d enjoy building her mother’s line from the ground up. She could do everything remotely from New York, and Cammy and her mother could sew the bags, with Dorothy possibly in their back pocket. All her mother had to do was deliver them.
Even with her regular work schedule, Ava could manage this with her eyes closed. She was happy to be able to do something to help her mother. Maybe a focus on the new bag line would fill her mother’s time. The shared projectwould give them a chance to connect after Ava had returned home, and her mom wouldn’t feel so lonely.
Ava was feeling better about the future already.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ava’s mother walked into the kitchen the next morning wearing a skirt and flats.
Ava didn’t hide her surprise.
“I thought maybe I’d go with you to church,” Martha said, patting her freshly curled hair.
“I’d love that,” Ava said, delighted her mother was going to join them. Maybe her mom would meet a few people in the area who could keep her company after Ava flew home tomorrow. “Lucas should be here in about thirty minutes.”
Since their last visit, Ava hadn’t seen Lucas or spoken to him, apart from the confirmation text that he was coming this morning. Her stomach was full of butterflies, like a schoolgirl waiting on her crush. Her anticipation was silly, given how long she’d known him, and she knew better than to allow herself to feel that way about him, but the emotions came anyway. She’d spent extra time on her makeup, and she’d styled her hair more fashionably. She didn’t need to impress him, but she wanted to.
“Have you eaten anything?” Martha asked. “I could make us each a quick omelet.”
“That actually sounds amazing. Want some help?”
“Why don’t you make some coffee?”
While Ava got down the mugs, Martha opened the fridge and leaned into it to retrieve the eggs.
“I had another dream of your dad last night.” Her mother set the container on the counter and pulled a bowl from the cabinet.
Ava turned around, a mug in each hand.
Martha took an egg from the carton and tapped it against the bowl. “He danced with me.” She took a deep breath as if the memory of it was too much. “I told him he’s welcome to come to me every night.”
