Chasing Starlight 💫

4. GIFTS

Ash:

"Bye, Mrs. Harrison!" Ash said, giving the lady's poodle a handful of liver treats.

"Thanks again, Ashleigh. Tilly looks gorgeous. You've done a terrific job!"

Ash waved as dog and owner headed out the door. She was just thankful that someone appreciated her work, because that poodle had taken forever to wash, blow-dry, groom... She'd even added a bow as a final touch just because it would keep Mrs. Harrison coming back.

Their clinic needed all the help it could get now that developers were pressuring her parents to sell. And it wasn't just Rendwick Veterinary Clinic under pressure, the entire strip of six shops, like Jasper's Coffee House, had been getting the same propositions, too, all with the intention of building apartment blocks in their place. All six shop owners had petitions circling the neighborhood, but Ash had a feeling it wouldn't be enough. If the shops were forced to move they were at risk of losing some of their regular clientele, something they couldn't afford to let happen.

Her mum and dad were seriously stressed, all the time. They never used to bicker. Now they did, all the time. Ash hated it. She hated the developers. It was like they weren't just breaking up a business, but her parents, too. She was pretty sure her dad had been sleeping in the guest bed for the past few months, and the nights he arrived home late had been becoming more frequent. Sometimes half a week could pass by without Ash laying eyes on him, but as soon as her parents where in the same room together the silence was gone. Even now, her mum was snapping at her dad from the next room, "No, David. We should hold on to...longer... I'm not giving up." Whatever David's reply was a mystery—all Ash heard was the low mumble of his voice through the wall.

Deflated, Ash wandered back behind the reception desk and slumped in the chair. The door on her right opened behind her, and her mum strode out in a huff. Marianne Rendwick's blonde ponytail was frizzed and her mascara had left blotches under her eyes, evidence that she'd been crying. The second she saw Ash she went into yoga breathing mode, her go-to guide when she didn't know what else to do. Her jaw relaxed marginally, although Ash suspected it would be clenched tight if nobody was in the room.

"How's your science project going?" Marianne asked. "Have you finished?"

Ash groaned. "Not yet."

How she hated that project. She'd been struggling to write the remaining two thousand words for days now. Instead, she'd accomplished an inordinate amount of hours staring at the computer screen, re-editing the bits she'd already done. Physics just wasn't her strong point. Sometimes people, like teachers and parents, needed to accept that. She had. Besides, it was Sunday. Who wanted to do homework and reception work the entire weekend?

"Why don't you take off home. We have a meeting at one, anyway," Marianne said.

"Oh? Who with?" Ash looked down at the schedule on the screen, but she could only see a greyed out block from one o'clock onwards. When she'd seen it earlier, she'd assumed they were having a late lunch.

"An investor."

"Really? But I thought this was a family business. It's even called Rendwick Veterinary Clinic. What if the investor wants to change that?"

Marianne's mouth pinched together. "We need the help."

"I know we do. But how would an investor help us if the entire strip of shops is expected to leave? Us having more money won't stop the developers from taking over. I mean they want to buy us out. They want to give you money, not have you spend more in the street."

Her mother frowned, apparently stumped by Ash's question.

"Hang on..." Ash said. "Are we moving the clinic?"