Page 44 of Melody

The walls are lined with wooden shelves, showcasing an eclectic assortment of iconic items. Each shelf is a visual feast—vintage vinyl records, classic movie posters, porcelain figurines, leather-bound books, and myriad vintage jewelry.

I’m drawn to the rack of retro sunglasses. I can’t help myself. I choose a pair of round frames, put them on, and view myself in the mirror.

Yeah, I could have lived in the sixties. I rock these frames.

But I’m not here to buy for me.

At the center of the store, a young man sits behind the counter. “May I help you?” he asks when I approach him.

“I’d like to buy that dragon belt buckle in the window,” I say.

He smiles. “You got here just in time. That’s our last one.”

I frown. “It’s not vintage?”

“Not that piece. Most of our figurines and a lot of our jewelry are new.”

Bummer. It’s not one of a kind. But on Jesse it will be.

“I’ll take it.”

“Would you like to have it engraved?”

Hmm. I tilt my head. That way I can make it one of a kind for a one-of-a-kind man. “Yeah. Maybe.”

“It’s an extra twenty-five dollars.”

“Sounds great. Let’s engrave it.”

The clerk steps out from behind his counter, walks to the window, grabs the belt buckle, and brings it back.

“What would you like it to say?”

“On the front, I want it to say Jesse. J-E-S-S-E.”

He makes some notes. “And anything on the back?”

“I don’t know…”

“Is it a gift?”

“It is. Let’s see…” I tap my fingers on the counter. “Engrave it to sayWith lots of loveon the back.”

“Perfect. What’s your name?”

“Brianna.”

“All right, Brianna. I’ll have this ready in about an hour if you want to pick it up today.” He rings up my purchase.

I slide my credit card through the reader. “Good enough. I’ll be back in an hour. Thank you so much.”

I grab a light lunch and then peruse a few more shops. Most of my holiday shopping is already done, but I can’t resist grabbing a little something for Maddie—a guidebook for the UK and continental Europe. I purchase one for myself as well.

The clerk at Yesterday’s Treasures smiles when he sees me. “I’ve got it ready for you.”

“Thanks so much. Can I take a look?”

“I took the liberty of giftwrapping it for you, but I’m happy to unwrap it and then rewrap it.” He hands me a small box.

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