Chapter One
Serenity
“Good morning!” Mr. Johnson yells from the back of the store.
“Morning.” I shove my purse under the counter. I made it just in time. The mist that accompanied me on the way in has turned into rain that patters softly against the windows.
Grabbing a lighter, I make my way around the shop to light the candles. My heart sighs happily as the dark corners begin to glow, chasing away the gloominess of the day.
Mr. Johnson lightly touches my back as he passes me. “Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” he asks.
I chuckle under my breath. “It sure is.”
Every day is a beautiful day in Mr. Johnson’s book. I inhale deeply, catching the lingering scent of the old man’s cologne ashe moves to the front of the shop. It has a soft woodsy smell, and the familiar scent comforts me. I’ve worked for him for the past ten years. He’s an interesting fellow. He’s traveled the world, and he tells the best stories.
Mr. Johnson is safe, calm, and most importantly, consistent.
When I grab the keys to open the doors for the day, he stops me. His hand wraps around mine.
“Serenity, your mother called again. She says she’s been trying to reach you for a few weeks now.”
“It’s always something with her,” I say, pulling away from him and heading toward the doors.
“Your brother passed away.”
His words stop me in my tracks. I turn to look at him.
“I’m sorry, honey.”
“It’s okay.” I wave him off and continue with my task. “Thank you for telling me. I’m glad I heard it from you.”
When I get back to the counter, he drapes his arm around my shoulders. He studies me over the top of his wire-rimmed glasses. “Why don’t you take the day off? Go have a coffee. My treat.” He opens the cash register and hands me a ten-dollar bill.
I stare at it for a few seconds as the lump in my throat intensifies. “Okay, yeah. Thank you.”
He carefully plucks it from my hand and places it securely inside my purse. “Come on, you can borrow my umbrella.”
Tears sting at the corners of my eyes as he walks me to the door and opens it. “If you need to talk, I’ll be right here,” he assures me.
I nod. “Thank you … for everything.”
He smiles sadly. “I will call her back and tell her I’ve told you. I’ll ask her to please stop trying to reach you.”
“I’m sorry she called here. I hope you don’t have to change the number to the shop again. I know it’s bad for business.”
His thumb brushes across my cheek. “I’ll do whatever it takes to give you peace.” He pats me on the back and then hands me his umbrella, followed by a gentle shove out into the rain.
I head down the block, the world slowly turning to a blur. The last time I saw my brother, he was a mess. It took everything in me that day to enforce my boundaries and ask him to leave my apartment.
My family lives for chaos. Of course they’d never admit it. They think they’re victims of the world and everything in it. I know because I had the same mentality until I moved away. Eventually, I realized I was the one creating my own madness.
The day I changed the narrative inside my mind, my entire personality shifted. I let go of everything that didn’t feel right. Unfortunately, that included my family.
When I get to the coffee shop, my usual is waiting for me on the counter.
Deb offers me a sad smile. “Mr. Johnson called. I’m sorry to hear about your brother.”
I begin to unzip my purse, but she stops me. “Don’t get your money out, hun. The coffee is on me today.”