Thursday, November 30, 2023

4

Little Things

 Tiredness swirled thick in Lyn’s head. She tapped her fingers on the freshly finished jar of tea, scanning the windows for any sign of Amelia. The peachy glow of sunset cast long shadows on the bare wood floor.

 She’d finished the tea late last night and waited all day in the empty shop, but Amelia hadn’t shown. Impatience itched inside Lyn. She still needed to head to her landlord’s office to turn in the key to the store.

 Well, there was nothing to be done. Just her luck that her final customer didn’t even show.

 The bell above the door jingled, and Lyn’s head snapped up. Flushed and panting, Amelia stood in the doorway.

 “I’m so sorry I’m late. Something came up with my father, and I ran the whole way here once I saw how late it had gotten.”

 “Better late than never. I was getting ready to head out, so you made it just in time.” Lyn felt a smile creep up her face. “Say, is your father Raymond Farnsworth?”

 Amelia tilted her head. “How’d you know?”

 “Found an old invoice for nearly the same order as yours. It may have been from fifty years ago, but there aren’t that many Farnsworth in the area.”

 “Yes, that would have been him.” Amelia looked down, pressing her lips in a tight line. “He was probably ordering it for his father as well. My grandfather had dementia, too. Runs in the family.”

 Lyn’s smile slipped. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

 “It’s fine. I thought maybe an enchanted tea could help bring back a good memory for him.” Amelia chewed her lip. “On the worst days, he doesn’t even remember me, and he gets agitated. He doesn’t have long, so I wanted him to have some peace and joy before then. I didn’t know he’d bought the same blend for my grandfather.”

 “Well, it’s been an honor to touch three generations of your family, even in such a small way.” Lyn handed over the jar of tea, a beam of sunlight catching it and turning it golden. “It’s not much, but I hope this helps.”

 Amelia tucked the jar into her coat pocket. “It doesn’t need to be much. Even the little things help.”

Amelia paid for the tea with a few crumpled dollars, thanked Lyn for staying late, and left the shop. The door snapped shut with a resounding thud, as if it knew the last customer it would see had just crossed the threshold.