She heard someone come through the beaded curtain that led to the back of the shop. Mack looked up, hoping to see her mystery woman, but instead she saw her older co-worker.

“I’m sorry, she’s not able to talk right now. Can I take a message?”

Mack was disappointed. “It’s okay. Just tell her I wanted to say hello and ask how she was. I’ve opened a barbershop next door—”

“Oh, you’re the new owner? I’m Sandra, by the way.”

“I’m Mack and this is Dexter. What’s your friend’s name?” Mack said.

Sandra hesitated for a second and said, “Flora.”

“Can you tell Flora that I’m grateful for her rescuing my little Dexter, and if she ever wants to talk, just pop in next door. I’d love to speak to her.”

“I will do, but as I say, she’s shy.”

Mack nodded and walked out of the shop. She inhaled a large lungful of air. This was insane and the coincidence of all time. The woman she’d saved on the night her life changed was right next door to her but didn’t want to talk to her.

“Flora.” Mack tried out her name.

It seemed fate had brought them together, just as it did that night outside the casino. Why was she so hesitant to talk to her? It felt like Flora was frightened of her, but Mack had helped her. Perhaps it was seeing her brought the whole horrible night back to her? Mack hoped so, anyway. The last thing she wanted was for Flora to be frightened of her. She turned back to the shop window, hoping that her mystery woman had come out from the back of the shop, but there was no sign.

She turned when she heard Liam shout, “You got Dexter, Mack?”

Mack turned and walked back to her shop door. “Aye, the sweet shop lady had him.”

“That’s going to be dangerous,” Liam said.

“What do you mean?”

“A sweet shop a few paces away from work.” Liam smiled and patted his stomach. “Ma belly is going to grow bigger and bigger. I’ll need to spend every night in the gym.”

“You’re not wrong,” Mack said.

Liam walked back into the barber’s, and Mack looked to the sweet shop. “I don’t know about you, Dex, but I feel we’re going to be eating more sweets too.”

Flora was a mystery she wanted to solve.

* * *

Flora’s heart was beating fast as she held her hands over her ears and her eyes tightly closed, trying to block out the conversation in the shop. She got the fright of her life when she saw her rescuer from the night she couldn’t forget.