Page 41 of A Hexcellent Chance to Fall in Love

Until the Store Closes

Pepper

There were times in life when the thing you least expected became the best thing to ever happen to you. It was that way with me and this curse. If it had never happened, I never would’ve met Christina. She may never have come to Clover Creek. And there would never have been an us—a her and me.

Not all things that on the outside seemed terrible were, in fact, terrible. There would always be a bright side, even if it wasn’t obvious at first. Sometimes life needed patience. Even after the darkest nights, the sun would eventually rise. You only had to believe.

For me, that light came while I’d been on aisle thirteen. I’d been placing discount stickers on sets of face paints when Mrs.Stein found me.

“They want me to come in and talk,” she said, not “Hello,” not “It’s good to see you.

” Her eyes were focused—determined—and her voice was so steady.

She had mentioned when we chatted before that they never broke bad news on the phone—that they always wanted you there in person just in case you took it poorly.

This had to mean that her doctors didn’t see any other options for her, that her time was coming to an end.

My heart tightened in my chest. I’d never wish this upon anyone. “I’m—”

“No. It’s okay. I’ve been preparing myself for this, and now thanks to you, I have another way.” To her credit, she held it together quite well. She didn’t seem upset or angry. If anything, she seemed assured.

Part of me wanted to cry for her—and for me, for two totally different reasons. I wanted to scream. I wanted to jump up and down. I wanted to hug her so tightly, but instead I said, “So you’re a hundred percent in?”

“I’m in,” she said. “I’ll meet you here two days after Halloween at midnight.”

This was it.

I would be able to stay.

Christina and I were going to get to be together—forever.