I should have known my calm and happy state wouldn’t last long. As soon as I walked in to Eck, Meck & Dreck for work on Monday, Annie threw me for a loop by asking, “Honey, would it upset you too much if I sold the shop and moved?”

“What?” I asked, my voice sharper and more shrill than I had intended. “Where are you moving? Far away?” I looked at the woman who had become like a mother to me since my own mom had passed away. Her fiery red curls were poking out in every direction. She had on a long, colorful, bohemian dress and tall, purple boots. She looked wild and beautiful, and I didn’t want her to go anywhere, ever.

“No, no,” she reassured me. I’ll always keep a place close to where you and that little nugget are.” She pointed to my belly as she said the last part. “I just have an investor who has been making offers on the building, and I’ve been wondering what it would be like to travel and explore the world a little bit.”

Her words frightened me. I didn’t want my sweet, crazy Annie to go anywhere. I desperately tried to think of a way to talk her out of it. I used my trump card first. “What about the baby? Peanut needs you.”

“Oh Sweetie, I would never be gone for too long at once. I want to watch that baby grow up.”

Okay, that was good to know, but I still didn’t like this idea at all. “You would just close the shop?” I asked her.

“It’s time, Ab. People don’t want to buy knick-knacks on vacation anymore. That’s what eBay is for. The store has been a novelty to keep me busy. But if I accept the latest offer on the property, I’ll have plenty of money to find all kinds of wonderful things to do, and I’ll have the time to enjoy them.”

I visualized the picturesque building that housed our shop and the apartments upstairs. Annie lived in the largest of the apartments. “What would the new owners do with the building?” I asked her. “Will they tear it down? Will they kick the tenants out of the apartments?” The more I thought about it, the less I liked any of this.

Annie’s high-pitched laugh tinkled out at me. “I don’t know what their plans are, Sweetheart, but we will all be okay. Please don’t worry your pretty brain about it.” I squinched my face up, doubting that my brain was pretty, but refrained from commenting on it.

“What will I do for a job?” I hated to use the sympathy card on her, but I really didn’t think I could handle all of this change.