Audrey Moore moved through her father’s book store in an
almost trance like state. Her life had stopped after she got the call from her
Aunt Sheila. The Dreaming Tree had been closed for a total of 16 days. The
funeral had happened and the pile of dirt on the grave now shared by her
parents was beginning to settle into the new spring grass. With the help of her
aunt, the apartment above the shop had been sorted, cleared out and now
reclaimed by Audrey’s few belongings.
A week ago she had gotten a visit from Nigel Stern, her
father’s long time friend and accountant. Nigel had been kind and necessarily
frank with her.
“As much as we all loved Joe, math was never his best
subject – even when we were kids. I've kept him at bay from bankruptcy Audrey,
but just. This store isn't turning a profit. You should sell the business and
go back to the big city.”
Audrey politely thanked Nigel and reeled from the
information. She sank down into the desk chair behind the counter to think.
“Go back to the big city….”
To what? To a job as a children’s program coordinator in the
library that’s about to be cut? To Paul who finally told her he never wants kids and she should just be practical about it. She’s not even sure there’s
still any love left between them.
Audrey sighed and picked up a book from the desk. It was The
Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Her father had finally gotten
around to reading it after she gave it to him for Christmas. Audrey chuckled
and then flipped to a random page and read a line:
“Don't you think it's better to be extremely happy for a
short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”
She got up and walked around the shop again. It had always
been such a happy place to visit – a comfort for her soul. Could she turn it
around so it could survive?
Audrey packed up a small bag and took a short trip back to Minneapolis . She stayed
with friends and decided not to phone Paul. He would disapprove of what she
planned to do. It was not at all practical. The credit union agreed with him
but she transferred her home branch location to New Teasdale, which was a close
enough drive to Dankoville, and cashed in her retirement savings.
She walked into Nigel Stern’s office at eleven twenty three
am. As she told him her plan, his eyes widened and he opened a bottle of scotch
and poured two glasses. Audrey slowly sipped hers as he fumbled through some
documents and began to speak accountese at her. She nodded along and took the
package of papers he compiled for her with a smile.
At twelve fifty three pm the sign on the door of The
Dreaming Tree second hand book store flipped from closed to open and Audrey
Moore’s life began again.
