“Shit,” I muttered, looking around frantically. Finding nowhere to put my tubs, I dropped them on the still-dewy grass, preparing to race after Ezra on my much shorter legs.

“Hey … let me talk to him.”

I glanced up to find Humphrey, his own cheeks slightly pink, eyeing me earnestly. Something in his expression made me nod, and he dumped his gazebo on the ground and trotted off down the path in the direction Ezra had fled.

I slumped back to the car, opening the front door and sliding into the driver’s seat.

“I think I messed up, Luci.”

My ferret chirped at me, her beady red eyes peering through her cage bars.

I sighed. “I know. I’m good at it. Joe tells me all the time. But I can’t just sit here and mope. This stall won’t set itself up. Hopefully Humphrey can smooth things over with Ezra, so he’ll at least let me apologise.”

I glared down at my lap. “You’re supposed to be lucky undies, but all you’ve done today is let me expose you to the world, and stick my foot in my mouth with my best friend!”

Clambering out of the car once more, I got to work, assembling trestle tables, dressing and decorating and laying out my products and the framed artworks from the girls at the hospital that I’d used as inspiration.

Finally, I brought Luci’s cage out, setting it at the front of the stall. She never spent much time in there because everyone wanted cuddles. I scooped her out, strapped her into her harness and lead, and began the delightful task of wrestling her into her costume.

“Oh, come on, you elongated rat!” I puffed, stuffing a ferret treat into her mouth to stop her squirming while I Velcroed on the ‘shell bra’ that was the finishing touch to her ‘Little Mer-ferret’ costume that I’d finally worked all the snags out of late last night. I turned her to face me. She chewed messily on her treat as I inspected my handiwork.

“Well, aside from the eating with your mouth open—we’ll have words about table manners later—you do look frightfully adorable right now, Luci-Fur,” I cooed, adjusting the little crocheted wig that tied under her chin.

“Two dollars from every sale is donated to the Children’s Cancer Ward at Derek Halsey Hospital?” a deep voice boomed from the path that wound past the front of my stall.

Luci shut her mouth, and I watched as she visibly gulped.

Yeah, I feel about the same way, my girl, I thought, turning towards my brother.

“How are you supposed to make a decent profit if you’re donating it all to charity?” He eyed me derisively, running a hand through his mousey hair.