“And honestly, I consider it a win that I didn’t find out he was married after I’d gone on a date with him. I can’t tell you how many times that has happened to me.” She turned and continued to set the vases around her shop, positioning them this way and that until they were perfect. “Apology accepted, by the way.”

“Oh. Good.”

The bell to the shop jingled and in walked Estrella. She and her son exchanged eye contact, communicating silently, and Mary gathered that John was forgiven in his mother’s eyes.

“Estrella, I’m glad you’re back. I wasn’t sure how to display the pots you brought over yesterday.”

Estrella was one of the artisans that Mary featured in her shop, which was how they’d first become friends a few years ago. The woman was a true creative. She’d started out with these intricately embroidered throw pillows that had immediately triggered Mary’s drool reflex the moment she’d first seen them. From there, Estrella had started into her tapestries phase, which rolled into the stained-glass windows phase, and now they were here, with these lovely pots that Estrella threw in a ceramics studio and glazed to perfection. Mary couldn’t have loved them more. And she couldn’t have loved Estrella more either.

The woman, unlike some of Mary’s other artisans, was even-tempered and realistic. If Mary couldn’t sell some of her pieces, Estrella traded them out, her pride uninjured. Mary deeply valued their professional relationship, but nowhere near as much as their personal one. It was almost once a week that Estrella stopped by for a lunch with Mary or just a quick chat. It was a miracle that she’d known Mary for so long before she’d tried to set her up with John. Mary had been weighted down with a full-body dread to tell Estrella that it hadn’t worked out between them. She didn’t want anything to damage her relationship with her friend. Apparently, though, it hadn’t caused too much damage, considering that Estrella was smiling as she marched across the floor and gave Mary a little side-hug.

“You could display them over there, with the other pots.” Estrella pointed.

“Never!” The idea was absurd to Mary. “Those pots are nothing compared to yours. No. I want yours prominently displayed, but I was wondering what you thought about me buying some plants to stick into some of them, to give the customer an idea on how to use them practically. I could put one or two in the front window and then the rest... Oh, I’ll have to unpack them and figure it out as I go.”

“Are they in the storeroom?” Estrella asked.

“Mmm-hmm. In the same box you brought them over in.”

“John,” Estrella ordered. “The box has blue painter’s tape on it. Bring it out here, will you?”