Tori felt much lighter even though she knew she wouldn’t be very light much longer. There was a spring in her step similar to the one after she told Mr. Layton, George, about her predicament. Maybe her life had turned a page. And if that were the case, Tori decided she was going to be the one writing and reading it.

* * *

After Luna’s appointment left, she opened the note on the counter. She got a strange feeling from it. Not that strange feelings were uncommon for her, but this was a little different. There was something oddly familiar about the vibe she got from the paper. She shrugged and checked her schedule. The afternoon was whizzing by, but she had some time around four thirty. She wondered if the woman could wait until then. She had promised Rita she would talk to her just after five. Luna decided to dial the number.

A nervous voice answered. “Huh . . . hello?” Tori could barely choke out the words.

“Hi. This is Luna. I believe you left a note for me in my café?” Luna was bright and cheerful.

“Yes, this is Tori. Thank you for calling me.”

“Nice to meet you, Tori. Are you still in the building?”

“Yes, I am on the second floor doing a little window-shopping.” Tori knew that was about as close as she would ever come to owning a vintage Chanel bag. She was stunned at the prices. Even a used quilted bag fetched almost $2,000. She wondered what the original price was. Not that it mattered.

“I have some time between four thirty and five if you’ll still be around.”

Tori checked the many watches in the window at the Second Time Around shop. It was an hour and a half from now. But she was there, and she wasn’t going to miss the opportunity. “I think I can keep myself busy until then,” Tori replied.

“Great. See you later.”

“Thank you very much.” Tori clicked off her phone. She could not believe she was really going through with this. She had walked through the center twice already and wasn’t sure what she would do for another ninety minutes. Then she remembered she had a couple of magazines in her car. She went back to the parking lot, retrieved the magazines, and returned to the center. This time she went out the large glass doors that led to a patio. Even the landscaping was a work of art, inside and out. She noticed a small brass plaque that read:

LANDSCAPING BY CALGO GARDENS

That explains it, she thought to herself. They were known throughout the state for their landscape architecture.