Unfortunately for me, I don't make it to the door before the other person arrives.
"Joshua, don't scold me," I beg the moment he walks in the door. "I had to drop off a book and you know how Sandy is about books-"
Joshua holds up a hand to stop me, his eyes twinkling. "Slow down, Fawn," he says, and his tone halts my barrage of words. "I'm not mad. And neither is Sandy. Remember that Theo and Atticus always set up shop before we do."
"Then why'd you come to get me?" I ask, perplexed.
"Because you need to learn to show up a little earlier than five seconds before opening," Atticus fills in, smirking a little.
I shoot him a glare. "Okay, smartypants, not everyone has life as easy as you do. I raise three little girls on top of my two jobs."
Atticus holds his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. I know you handle a lot, I was just teasing."
I relax a little, regret poking at me for my snarky response. "I should have known you were just kidding," I say meekly. "I'm sorry for lashing out."
Atticus hugs me, making me freeze in both surprise and an onslaught of nerves. "Fawn, you are the queen of overthinking things. You didn't lash out, you defended yourself."
I squirm in his grasp. I'm really not a hugger. My sisters? Definitely. Other people? Nope. "Um, so, I'm really glad you're not mad at me for being snarky, but can I have my personal space back?"
Atticus doesn't let go. "Nope. We're literally all huggers except for you. Now get used to it."
"Sandy isn't a hugger," I point out.
"Okay, fine, you and Sandy can just go live your miserably hug-less lives then." Atticus releases me, pretending to be upset.
Joshua makes a show of looking at his watch. "Y'know, you weren't late when I walked in, but if you don't scurry..."
"Oh, cricket!" I run out the door at top speed, flying down the street, my skirts flapping like a clumsy, huge bird wrapping its wings around me. Several times I slip on loose stones and nearly fall, but by some miracle I manage to regain my balance each time and I arrive at the apothecary shop in record time.
Sandy's standing at the counter reorganizing a drawer containing small jars of powder when I arrive, out of breath and my hair tousled. He looks up when he hears the door slam open and closed, and his only response is to raise an eyebrow at me and step aside for me to take over the organization. "Alphabetically, left to right," is all he says before taking a basket from the stack by the front door and heading out to the garden.
I sigh and set to work, sorting the many small jars of brown powders. How does Sandy tell them apart? I wonder as I accidentally mix up the jars for the fourth time. At least he writes on the jars which powder is which.
Joshua comes in just as I'm sliding the newly organized drawer back under the counter. Coincidentally, the back door squeaks open right as the front door clicks shut, and I hear Sandy setting a basket on the back counter.
"Hey, Josh!" Sandy's cheerful voice rings out from behind me.
I see where I rank around here.
"So Josh gets a warm welcome even though he came in much later than I did?" I say, turning to take down my apron from the wall in preparation to take care of the herbs and such Sandy had just brought in.
"Josh was here before dawn, picking up your slack," Sandy reminds me, putting emphasis on your but keeping his tone polite. Sandy's not one to scold, but he makes his point clear nonetheless.
I flush. "My sister was sick," I say defensively. "You really think I can let an eight-year-old try to figure out how to handle that all on her own?"
"Oh, of course not," Sandy says mildly, washing his hands at the sink. "I'm merely pointing out that Joshua was here long before you and therefore is not technically late."
"By the way, how is Mia?" Joshua asks kindly, though it's painfully obvious that he's trying to change the subject.
"Better. I hate having to leave her, though. Ivory's supposed to check in on them every once in a while."
Sandy snorts, as though he doesn't think that Ivory is the most responsible person to be given charge of little girls. I raise my own eyebrow at him. "Wasn't it just a few months ago that you were considering apprenticing Ivory?"
"That was before," is all Sandy says before dropping the subject.
I roll my eyes. "Ivory is still the same person as always."
Sandy just shakes his head. Joshua sends me a sideways glance, my cue to drop the subject. Shaking my own head, I turn to the basket of herbs and start organizing them. However, my thoughts are far from organized. Why won't Sandy just accept Ivory? If I had made the same decision as Ivory, would Sandy feel the same way about me? The last thought sends a chill running through me, and I focus harder on the herbs. Best not to think that way.
