Page 26 of Quintessentially

“Oh Lord,” Mom said with a grin, “I don’t know. It’s an example. How would you feel?”

“I’d be excited that Molly has a cousin. I’d also be sad that I didn’t know sooner.”

“Have you considered that might be how Dax will react?”

“I can’t, Mom. I can’t have hope for something that won’t happen. I can’t be disappointed and hurt again, not by him. Right now, I’m so scared about losing this store.” I look around. “I really do love it, and I know I can make it more. I have so many plans, but until it’s mine…”

She grins. “It’s been a while. Will you show me upstairs?”

A spark of my excitement springs to life. “Yes.” I double check the front and back doors, making sure they’re locked. Then I go to the small office. “Molly, Grandma’s here.”

She jumps up from the beanbag chair and runs to Mom. “I can stay here with Mom.”

My mom smiles. “We’ll see.”

“We’re going upstairs to look around,” I say to my daughter. “Do you want to come or stay here?”

Molly looks at the beanbag and bowl of popcorn. “I’ll stay here.”

“Okay. Remember, don’t open the doors. If someone knocks, yell upstairs for us.”

Molly agrees as she goes back to the beanbag and pulls a soft blanket over herself.

The staircase to the second floor is located near the back of the front storeroom, and as I open the door, I see again how narrow the passage is. “I wonder if there will be problems getting things up there.”

“I’m sure there will.”

“Thanks,” I say in jest as I flip the switch and bring light to the dusty staircase.

“Kandace, real life isn’t life without problems.”

“Then I have one hell of a life.”

Mom smiles. “You do. It’s best to concentrate on that.” Her eyes open wide as we get to the top of the stairs.

The space was at one time used by an accountant. It’s mostly one large area.

“Wow,” she says, “this is bigger than I remember.”

I spin around. “It is. It’s a little over eighteen hundred square feet, and there is a small third floor that is another nine hundred square feet. It needs a lot of work.”

Mom goes to the wall and runs her hand over the wainscoting and woodwork. “This is beautiful.”

Using my shoe, I tap the floor. I imagine sanding and restoring this floor. The wood is solid and in good condition. Mick said he thought it would restore well.”

“That’s a lot of work.”

Simply thinking about making this space a home for me and Molly brings back the spark that has been doused all day. I walk to the back wall. “There’s an unusable out-of-date bathroom with a toilet and sink. Mick says that we’ll need to replace the plumbing, but it’s a start.” I grin as I peer all around. “I figure there’s room on this floor for a living room, a nice bathroom, kitchen, and two more rooms. Upstairs Mick thinks we could fit a half bath and two bedrooms. That way, Molly could have a playroom on this level by my office.”

Mom nods. “I can see it.”

“Me too,” I say hopefully. “I just…”

“How much more inventory do you have to do?”

I shrug. “A few hours’ worth.”

“Why not do it tomorrow?”

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