Page 39 of Sweet Surprises

“Oh, I love it,” Allie said. “There’s definitely a place, and it’s right near the pizza shop.”

“Amazing,” Charlotte said. “Hey, thank you so much for all of this.”

“It’s just a ride into town,” Allie said, shrugging.

“You know what I mean,” Charlotte said. “I was really floundering. And now I have a path.”

“Well, hopefully we can get the shop open again soon,” Allie said. “But until then, I want you to know that I’m really glad you’re bonding with my niece.”

“You heard about that?” Charlotte asked, feeling secretly really happy.

“It’s all Mom can talk about,” Allie said with a smile. “Honestly, we’re all really amazed and so grateful to see her connecting with you.”

“I’m grateful too, Allie,” Charlotte said. “Olivia is so smart and so fun to talk to. I’m glad she feels comfortable with me.”

“I know this might be a little depressing,” Allie said, pulling into a spot in town, but leaving the engine running. “But I want you to be ready for her to open up. When she does, it might be hard to hear.”

“About her mom?” Charlotte asked.

“Yes,” Charlotte said. “But maybe other stuff too. She doesn’t really talk to any of us, and Tag can’t get anything out of her teachers, but we worry about what it’s like for her at school. Tag says she never has anyone over, or goes to anyone else’s house.”

“Oh, no,” Charlotte said.

Her stomach twisted at the idea of Olivia struggling to make friends, or maybe even being bullied. Moving to the city as a kid had been tough on Charlotte, and it had taken her a whileto settle in and find a friend or two. But Olivia had lived in Sugarville Grove all her life, as far as Charlotte knew. If she wasn’t having any luck making friends by now, the loneliness must be drowning her.

“It could be a phase,” Allie said. “But we worry.”

“I’ll do anything I can to help,” Charlotte promised.

“I know you will,” Allie said. “Just one more reason why I love you.”

She turned the car off and they hopped out into the cold, fresh air.

It wasn’t quite nighttime yet, but the sky was deepening into a darker gray, and the streetlights were coming to life one by one. Families still walked and played in the park, but Charlotte could already hear one or two moms calling to their kids to tell them it was time to go home.

The whole scene tugged at her heart, reminding her of her own parents calling her in for dinner. She used to beg for more time outside, but now she only wished she could sit at that table one more time and hear her dad’s funny work stories.

Allie had parked in a good spot right in front of the pizza shop, but they walked right past it and the cycle shop, then crossed the street to get to the print shop.

The veterinary clinic still had lights on, and it made Charlotte wonder about getting a pet one day. It was probably pretty silly to be thinking about adopting a dog when she was spending her day around so many cows, horses, and chickens. But she really enjoyed the company. It would be weird to go back to the apartment by herself when it was all fixed up.

“Here we go,” Allie said.

The print shop was right next to the clinic. A small wooden sign that saidA New Leafhung from the brickwork beside the door.

“Hey there,” a young man said as they stepped into the warmth of the store.

“Hi,” Allie said. “You guys still print out digital photos, right?

Charlotte looked around at the rows of stationery in every style and color, the turning shelves displaying Christmas stickers, and the sign by the counter listing prices for printing posters, business cards, and even banners.

“Absolutely,” he said. “What have you got?”

“Hi,” Charlotte said, heading over to the counter to join her friend. “They’re on my camera card. I have a list of the ones I want.”

“Perfect,” he replied with a friendly smile. “You can stop in tomorrow morning to pick them up. Or if you want to jot down your number, I can text you when they’re ready. It will probably be about an hour.”

“A text would be great,” Charlotte said, bending to note her name and number. “Thanks so much. We were just going to grab a slice of pizza.”

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