Natalia paused in the doorway just long enough to get her bearings. The wind blew fiercely, howling through her ears and the chill was enough to dampen her mood. Still, as she looked at the back counter for her daughter, none of that mattered. Natalia could tell that Ianna had been crying, no matter how briefly and she paid no mind to anything else. Ianna strode to the back of the store, where the book keeping was done and prayed for space.

“Nia, what happened?” Natalia swooped in behind her, her voice full of concern. “Where’s Kat?” Having only come in to catch the inventory list before closing time, she hadn’t intended to stay longer than a few minutes.

“She’s out front. Talking to Amos.” Her sentences were punctuated by the need to breathe from...

Please subscribe to keep reading.