One of the only other stores that remained open was Eck, Meck & Dreck. I sighed as I looked at the new sign hanging in our window. It read, “Last Day – Final Clearance.” There wasn’t much left in the store, but I was still having a hard time digesting that it was our last day in business.

It made me sad to look around. When I saw Annie, my face started to crumple in tears. “Now, don’t go doing that,” she admonished me. “It might be our last day here, but you aren’t getting rid of me that easily. I’m a consonant in your life now.”

I smiled, knowing that she meant she was a ‘constant’ in my life. “You better be,” I warned her, hugging her as tightly as I could with my extra girth.

I made it through the day with only a couple of tears shed. We had only a few items left for sale by the end of the day. Annie said she would make short work of selling them on ebay. When we turned the ‘Closed’ sign around for the last time, Annie handed me the jingly bells from the front door, telling me she wanted me to have them.

I accepted them, nodding in thanks and scurried out of the store with tears streaming down my face. I refused to tell her goodbye because I wouldn’t allow this to be a goodbye. I want Annie to be a ‘consonant’ in my life, I thought, smiling despite myself.

32

When Sam arrived at my house after work that night, my face was still a red, puffy mess from crying. “Tough day, Babe?” he asked with concern.

I felt like screaming at him that of course it was a tough day and that it was completely his fault, but some logical side of me knew that ranting like that wouldn’t accomplish anything. I ended up just nodding in answer to his question.

“Well, I have a surprise that might help you feel better.” He gave me that teaser, then waited for my response.

I tried to hold out, pretending like I didn’t care what surprise he had in store for me, but it was more than I could handle. “What’s the surprise?” I asked quietly.

He pretended like he didn’t hear me and made me ask again. When I did, he said, “Are you sure you want to know now? I thought we could wait until after dinner.”

This man was infuriating. “Tell me now.” I demanded, starting to get slightly perturbed.