Page 61 of A Very Merry Mistake

“Have you ever been in here before?” I ask, picking up a hand mirror with gold embellishments.

“When I was a kid, my mama kept her hand on my shoulder so I wouldn’t break anything. I don’t think a thing has changed since then. Even has some of the same items.” He chuckles, looking at a candlestick.

Several rooms are filled with random items, and when we cross to the other side, I find what I’m searching for.

“Ooh,” I whisper, picking up a snow globe with downtown Merryville inside. “I have to get this one.”

He steps closer as I shake and lift it to the light. Flecks of glitter fall around the globe, and I smile.

“Can I see?” He holds out his hand, and I give it to him. He flips it over and reads a date from the bottom. “Whoa, this thing is thirty-five years old.”

“Really?” I ask, and he passes it back to me. I hold it in my hands and can’t help but grin wide. “Wow. It’s a real antique.”

He chuckles. “Aren’t most of the things in here?”

I glance at the smaller globes on the shelf and point to another. “This one is cute.”

Inside, a couple is walking down a sidewalk, holding hands. It’s basic, but there’s something special about it, something I adore. “Dang it. Now I have to decide which one I want.”

“Just get them both,” Jake says.

“I’ve got a personal rule that I’ve always followed: I can only buy one.” I hold them both out in my palms. “If you had to choose, which would you go with?”

He looks between them and points to the Merryville one. “It makes more sense. You’re here in town experiencing it, ya know?”

“Yeah, you’re right.” I set the other globe back where I found it, and then we move to the other side of the store.

There are tons of pottery, dishes, chandeliers, and children’s toys on this side. One thing I can say about this place is there isn’t a method to how most items are placed. It’s a treasure chest of junk, and I love it. When I was growing up, everything had a place, even me and my sister, so this reminds me that not everything is like that.

“How’s this look?” Jake asks with a top hat on his head.

“It’s kinda hot,” I admit. “All you need is a tux and bow tie and you’ll look like Prince Charming. Oh…one sec.”

I pull out my phone and take a picture. I show him and then text the image to my sister. At any moment, my phone will buzz like crazy.

“I kinda look like Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber. Goofy as hell.”

I let out a snort. “Well, now you’ve ruined it.”

He shoots me a wink and returns it to the coat rack that’s leaning slightly less than the Tower of Pisa.

We take our time, walking down every aisle as we make our way up front. The woman behind the register smiles at us as I set the globe down on the counter.

“Oh, this is perfect.” She shakes it, and the glitter falls around the small town. It sparkles in the light, and it brings me so much joy. “Six dollars. That sound fair?”

Jake pulls a ten-dollar bill from his wallet and tells her to keep the change. She grins widely and wraps the globe in brown paper before stuffing it in a recycled plastic bag from the grocery store.

“Y’all come back, ya hear,” she tells us as Jake opens the door and I step outside.

I hold the bag up. “Thank you for this. It was a steal!”

“Consider it a gift from me to you. Now, when you return to New York and place it next to the others, I hope you’ll always be reminded of this moment,.”

“Me too.” I admit, a smile touching my lips. “It will be the perfect addition to my collection. So now what?”

“Want to head home?” As soon as the words leave his mouth, my phone buzzes like crazy in my pocket. I try to ignore it.

“Yeah, that would be great,” I tell him as we walk down the busy sidewalk.

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