Wish I Could Catch a Breeze // Albert DaSilva

Chapter One

Gretchen rushed through the busy New York streets, her blonde ringlets flying all over the place. She was never late to work, yet she was this morning. She blamed it on the fact that her alarm never went off, but she would have woken up on time anyway if she hadn't stayed up late reading. By the time she had woken up, her younger brothers were already on their way out the door for school. Gretchen would normally stay at home with her mother and sister, but ever since her father lost his job, she had to carry the burden of making money for the family. Not that she minded it, though. She would much rather be out in the world doing useful things than stay at home all day, learning how to be a good housewife.

She pulled the door of the flower shop open, wincing as the bell hanging above the door rang. She had planned to sneak in, since the shop hadn't opened yet, but she forgot about the bell. How could she forget about the bell?

"Ah, I see you've decided to show up today." Ms. Ferguson, the elderly woman who owned the shop, looked up from behind the counter.

Gretchen felt her face begin to heat up in embarrassment. She'd only worked at the shop for a month, and she hadn't done anything wrong. Until now. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Ferguson. I didn't wake up on time, and I had a hard time getting out the door because-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses." Ms. Ferguson waved her hand, dismissing the matter. "You're here now, and just in time. Go on and open the shop."

Gretchen nodded, shedding her light jacket and placing it behind the counter before obediently flipping the sign hanging in the door to signify that the shop was open. As she picked up the watering can, Ms. Ferguson stopped her.

"I'm heading out in a moment to help with wedding preparations for a customer across town. I'll need you to stay here for me," the old woman said.

"You...you mean by myself?" Gretchen asked tentatively. She'd never been left alone in the shop before; usually Ms. Ferguson was in the back room tending to business matters.

In response, Ms. Ferguson nodded. "Yes, by yourself. You'll be alright, dear, don't worry." She gathered her things and opened the front door. "I'll be back in time for you to close." With that, she left Gretchen standing in the middle of the shop, nervous about tending to the store on her own.

Since mornings were relatively quiet, Gretchen picked up the watering can again and went about her daily duty of watering the plants inside the shop. Beautiful floral displays and small trees lined the walls and shelves of the building, giving Gretchen plenty of plants to water.

By the time she finished, her arms were sore from lugging the heavy watering can around the shop. She placed the can back where it was behind the counter, and she sighed. Now all she had to do was wait for customers to show up. The small flower shop was rarely busy, but customers entered every now and then. Gretchen suspected that the shop made barely enough to keep itself afloat, but Ms. Ferguson was very good with finances. She had attempted to teach Gretchen how to balance the books, but Gretchen had given up within ten minutes. Math was certainly not her forte, but she enjoyed caring for the plants and assisting customers with bouquets and decorations.

Sighing, Gretchen traced invisible patterns on the countertop with her finger. She wished she had thought to bring her book. There were normally plenty of tasks to keep her busy, but she couldn't think of anything else to do. If Ms. Ferguson was here, she would send Gretchen down the street to buy a paper from the newsboy that's usually standing on the street corner, but Gretchen couldn't leave the shop unattended.

Throughout the day, only four customers came into the store, which meant an overly boring day for Gretchen. As the sun began to set, the bell on the front door rang. Gretchen looked up from the counter, but it was just Ms. Ferguson.

"How did the preparations go?" Gretchen asked, standing up straighter.

"Smoothly," Ms. Ferguson replied. "Did you get much business today?" Gretchen shook her head, and Ms. Ferguson sighed. "Well, maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow. I'll close up, why don't you go on home to your family."

"Thank you," Gretchen said, pulling her jacket back on. "I'll be on time tomorrow morning, I promise." As she reached the door, she flipped the sign back so the side that read 'closed' faced outward. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, dear." Ms. Ferguson gave her a small smile as Gretchen exited the shop, headed back down the street to her family's apartment.

~~~~~
this book is a little different for a few reasons (I doubt anyone's noticed). first, it's in the third person. second, it's in the past tense. I just wanted something a bit different. and yes, this chapter is kinda short, but it's the first one.

thanks for reading! hopefully I'll see you soon for the next chapter! :)