Chapter Three
Six months later
“Oh.”
That’s all she says.
My mother turns and assesses the building, running a finger over
the windowsill next to her. She picks up a layer of dust and wipes it
between her fingers. “It’s.. .”
“It needs a lot of work, I know,” I interrupt. I point at the windows
behind her. “But look at the storefront. It has potential.”
She scrolls over the windows, nodding. There’s this sound she
makes in the back of her throat sometimes, where she agrees with a
little hum but her lips remain tight. It means she doesn’t actually
agree. And she makes that sound. Twice.
I drop my arms in defeat. “You think this was stupid?”
She gives her head a slight shake. “That all depends on how it turns
out, Lily,” she says. The building used to house a restaurant and it’s
still full of old tables and chairs. My mother walks over to a nearby
table and pulls out one of the chairs, taking a seat. “If things work out,
and your floral shop is successful, then people will say it was a brave,
bold, smart business decision. But if it fails and you lose your entire
inheritance.. .”
“Then people will say it was a stupid business decision.”
She shrugs. “That’s just how it works. You majored in business, you
know that.” She glances around the room, slowly, as if she’s seeing it
the way it will look a month from now. “Just make sure it’s brave and
bold, Lily.”
I smile. I can accept that. “I can’t believe I bought it without asking
you first,” I say, taking a seat at the table.