“It’s okay. It is small, but it’s not too bad, actually. And his rent is much lower than anywhere else around here. I’ve checked. I’m making it for now, but I’ll need to take on some more work if I want to keep paying it.”

“You live there alone?”

Maya picked at the end of her thumbnail. She nodded.

“What about your parents? Where are they?” Violet was pushing, but she couldn’t help herself.

“I don’t have parents.” Maya tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “I mean, I did, but they’re gone. I never knew my dad, and my mom left when I was really young.”

Violet’s eyes widened. “Honey, how old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

Trudy handed Maya a note. “What brought me to Sugar Bend? I don’t know. I just drove. My last home was in Montgomery, and I got in the car and drove south until I saw a sign.”

A sign for Sugar Bend?

Maya glanced at Trudy’s note. “As it turns out, yes. I stopped for gas and saw a flyer about the art festival in Sugar Bend on the gas station door.” She rubbed her thumb back and forth across the note. “My grandmother used to talk about signs, and how one was always around when you needed it. I doubt she meant anything that literal, but I decided to follow it.” She shrugged. “And here I am. I could use the work. And I like this place.” She glanced around the shop, glowing pink in the early evening sun.

Trudy handed Violet a note. You and I have talked about classes. Maya can help me teach. It’ll bring in more money and it’ll give her something purposeful to do. And she and I have already started working on a piece together.

Violet took the pencil from Trudy and wrote her own note back. Trudy took it with raised eyebrows. She stole from us. You think hiring her is wise?

Trudy’s mouth went thin as she scratched out her answer. She deserves a chance. I think this could be good for her.

Violet met Trudy’s gaze. Despite her silence and her penchant for dragging sandy wood and bits of broken shells through their house, Violet could trust her sister. Could trust her decisions. She hadn’t always been able to, but now that trust was strong, born out of choices and regret and time.

She also had a hunch that hiring Maya might be good for more than just Maya.

“Okay. How about we start with a couple days a week? Then if we’re all happy with how things are going, you can add on more shifts. How does that sound?”

Maya nibbled on the edge of her lip, as if considering the offer. Then she nodded. “I can start tomorrow if you want.”

Violet rubbed her hands across the tops of her shorts. “We’ll see you at ten.”

They all three stood and in an uncharacteristic move, Trudy reached forward and enveloped Maya into a hug. Trudy was not a hugger. The closest she ever came to physical affection was an occasional stiff pat on the shoulder or knee, but she wrapped her arms around Maya like she was trying to pass on something crucial, something necessary, to the young woman.