Page 5

I rolled my eyes. “Of course.”

She arranged the flyers on the counter while softly humming. “Should I put them next to the cake display or closer to the register?”

“Whatever spot you like.”

Honestly, I didn’t care where she put them. It was rude enough of her to barge in here like that, wanting to promote her rival business on my turf. Helping her succeed was a bridge too far for me. It wasn’t like I owed her anything.

She finally opted for a spot between the cake display and the register. She used a ruler to determine the exact middle, then lined up the edges of the flyers with swift movements.

Then she clapped her hands. “All done. That reminds me, I had an appointment at the doctor’s office earlier and saw they’re looking for a receptionist. Maybe you could apply.”

I let out a sigh. “Why would I apply? I have a job right here.”

She let her gaze wander through the coffee shop and threw me a pained expression. “Yeah, well, I guess it’s better than nothing. Honestly, I admire the way you find the positive in everything, Olive.”

My mouth fell open. Inside my head, all kinds of ugly comebacks were competing to get spoken, but it was no use. Melissa had left the building and was already whizzing away in her Mercedes.

Without thinking, I walked to the counter, grabbed her stack of stupid flyers, and shoved them in the trash. If she asked about them, I’d say we already ran out of copies because every customer had taken one. She’d believe me, without a doubt.

I swiped up the last cake crumbs, changed back out of my uniform, locked the doors of the coffee shop, and started walking toward my parents’ place. I had left some of my things behind after moving out, and, according to my mother, their presence disrupted the house’s feng shui. I knew I should’ve bought her a different book for Christmas last year, but the cute cover and bargain price ofHow to Feng Shui Your Beloved Home Like a Prohad made it hard to resist. Now I was paying the price for that bargain ten times over.

After a fifteen-minute walk, I arrived at my former home. The front yard looked impeccable as always, not a misplaced flower head or patch of weeds in sight.

“Hello?” I called out when entering the house.

Even though I still had a key, it felt weird to use it. It was also weird to be nothing more than a guest in the home where I had spent twenty-five years of my life.

“Are you guys home?” I tried again.

I heard some stumbling and looked up to see my mother leaning over the wooden banister of the first-floor landing. “Over here, honey.”

A wave of shock went through me as I took in her appearance. Her normally styled locks had been replaced by a messy excuse of a hairdo, with bits of wood shavings strewn through it. She was wearing a pair of pants with a big gaping hole in them, as well as a faded shirt with the wordsOld Pine Cove Bowling Alley Championprinted on the front. Paint splatters covered her arms, and a blob of glitter made her cheek sparkle.

“Are you okay?” I asked, making my way to the first floor. “Did you fall into the kids’ crafts corner at the library?”

She waved my concerns away. “Everything’s great. Besides, why would I ever go to the kids’ crafts corner? I don’t even have grandkids.”

“It’s just that you look so… different,” I said, trying to be diplomatic.

She shrugged. “These are my work clothes. Come, your father and I want to show you something I think you’ll be extremely excited about. We’ve been working in your old bedroom non-stop for the last couple of days.”

I followed my mother to my old room. The very same one I had slept in until a few weeks ago and had fond memories of. Maybe my parents missed me so much that they had turned it into a room displaying my favorite childhood things, pictures, trophies… Kind of like an Olive Remembrance Room. I felt flattered and giddy knowing they wanted to honor the memories we had built together by devoting an entire room to my existence.

When I crossed the threshold, however, another feeling swept over me, and it was far from joyful. I froze in place, not knowing how to react.

Dad was on his knees, scooping wood shavings into an enormous cage. Next to him was a pile of work tools, nuts and bolts, and wooden planks.

All of my favorite pictures had been taken down and replaced by dull white paint. The remains of my nineties heartthrob posters were shoved in a carton labeledtrash.

“What happened here?” I asked, my eyes wide with disbelief.

Dad turned around. “Oh, hey, Olive, I didn’t hear you come in. So, what do you think?”

“That I don’t know what this is,” I said. The more I looked around my beloved room, the more freaked out I got.

Mom’s eyes sparkled. “This is something I’ve dreamed of for a long time now. We’re opening a themed hamster hotel.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “I’m sorry, what?”