Guess what? Life happened.

Epilogue

4 years later

            “That’s so pretty!” exclaimed the little brown haired girl happily giggling as she turned around in her pink polka dots dress in front of the full length mirror. The overly large red coneflowers attached to her small white derby Kentucky hat paired with her outfit and sweet smile really gave her the appearance of a classic southern princess.

            “Can I have it?” she turned to me with her full blown smile that made my heart swell. Kids always knew how to manipulate me.

            “I don’t think…” I started, I had no idea how to tell her no.

            “Please, please, pretty pretty please.” She pouted her mouth slightly while hugging her frail little body.

            I tried to hold on to my authority but it was slipping away at lightning speed. It was hard keeping up with the grown up charade when such an angel was tempting me. I was ready to crack and give her what she was pleading for when I heard the sound of hells clicking on the ceramic tiles.

            “Suzanne, what did I tell you about running off like this?” shouted the middle aged woman standing walking towards us with a scowl on her face. She looked absolutely irritated. “Sorry if she was bothering you but I can’t seem to keep her in one place.”

            “It’s alright, she was just helping me rearrange the shop.”

            The woman laughed heartily, “I see that my daughter have corrupted you too into disguising her mischievous ways.”

            “She’s a good kid, just a little…”

            “Persuasive” she finished for me. “I know, I nearly spent two hundred dollars on a doll she was not even going to keep for more than a week. She just think money grows on tree.”

            “It doesn’t?” Suzanne asked innocently.

            “No, it doesn’t.”

            “I thought you said money was just paper and you also said we get papers from trees.”

            I put my hand in front of my mouth to succumb the laugher in my throat.

            “Stop using my own words against me, young lady. We’re going now” she said, grabbed her small hands in hers.

            “Bye, Emma” she called out before leaving the store.

            I was about to clean the mess she had left on the floor when I heard a slightly familiar voice behind me.

            “Excuse me, do you work here?” he asked.

            I turned around to see none other than Kyle Angus standing in front of me in a pair of pale blue ripped jeans and a white sleeveless shirt with the inscription Artic Monkeys written in bold black.  He had let his ginger hair grow pass his shoulders. He was almost unrecognizable. This tall man with tattoos covering both of his arms barely looked like the teenage boy I saw at my father’s funeral.

            I cleared my throat, “Yes, may I help you with something?” I hoped he didn’t detect the panic in my voice.

            “Do you sell musical instruments?”

            “Yes, I believe you might find some if you keep going straight down this aisle, they are right after the women’s dresses.” I pointed in the direction flashing him a smile.