Page 42 of The Mended Hearts Bookshop

The first thing that Ash saw when she walked through the bakery door was a familiar, and yet oddly clean, face.

“You,” she said.

“The one and only,” smiled the once upon a time homeless woman. “The name’s Lucy, by the way. I, um, I work here now.”

“Of course you do,” said Ash. Pen really was the real deal, huh? She wasn’t just handing out advice and putting on a front, she actually truly was a sickeningly decent person. Ash sighed. “Is Pen around?”

“She’s just upstairs,” said Lucy. “I stole her shower time this morning so—”

“Because obviously you live here too,” Ash said, shaking her head. “Right, I suppose I’ll wait.”

But Lucy already had her phone out, fingers flying. “Uh… she says she’s out of the shower and you should just head right upstairs.” She looked up. “Just go back through the kitchen.”

“Yeah, no, that seems… personal,” Ash said, determined to wait.

“Hold on… the second message says that you shouldn’t be weird about it and you should just go up,” Lucy said, giggling.

“Fine,” said Ash. She might as well get this over with.

???

Pen zipped up her dress and examined herself in the mirror. She loved the bright reds and yellows of the pattern. She turned to the dressing table and found an eye pencil that would clash terribly but that she loved too much not to use.

“Hello?”

“Ash?”

“Do you always let other people randomly walk into your flat?” Ash called back. “Actually, no, strike that, I met Lucy downstairs.”

“I’m just getting ready,” Pen said. “Feel free to come into the bedroom.”

“Yeah, um, no.”

Pen laughed. “Then make yourself comfortable out there, I’ll just be a minute.”

“Fine.”

As quickly as she could, Pen started putting on her makeup. She could hear Ash walking around in the living room. Secretly, she was pleased that Ash had bothered to make the visit. She assumed that she was about to apologize for being cranky on the beach, and maybe even offer her help with the council presentation.

Perhaps Lucy had been right. She came on too strong, maybe Ash needed a little space to see what was the right thing to do. As always, something had turned up and everything was going to turn out fine. Pen grinned at herself in the mirror, then remembered something.

“Oh, by the way, I had Doris Renton in the shop this morning,” she called out.

“Who?” Ash asked.

“Doris. Renton.” Pen paused while she put on some mascara. “She’s about a hundred and eighty, the oldest person in town.”

“Huh,” was all Ash said to this.

“So I asked her about Mary and she said that as far as she knew Mary had no family until she found Jesus.”

“Jesus?” Ash’s voice had gone up half an octave.

“Yeah, Mary wasn’t especially religious. I think Doris might not have quite as many marbles as she did originally,” Pen said, surveying her colorful face in the mirror and nodding in approval.

“Pen?”

“Mmm?” She brushed off her dress and turned to leave the bedroom.

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