Flora only fibbed slightly. She didn’t want to let Sandra know about the note Mack sent her, because then she would have to explain how she first met Mack, and Flora had never told anyone about that night. Not the therapist she had at the time, no one.

It felt like if she didn’t tell anyone, if she didn’t acknowledge it and what might have been if Mack and her friends hadn’t arrived, then it hadn’t really happened.

“Can you help me package this?”

“Yes. Hang on.”

Sandra cut a length of clear plastic at the wrapping station, and Flora brought the jar and dog treats over.

“I wanted to give her workmate Liam some sweets too, but I’ve never spoken to him.”

Sandra started to package up the gift and tie the bow around it. “You’re normally good at matching the sweet to the person. Have you seen him?”

“Just once or twice when passing.” Flora tapped her chin once or twice and said, “I have an idea.”

* * *

Mack was finishing checking the week’s appointments on the computer. Word of mouth was making business pick up already.

She went and sat on one of the barber chairs and patted her lap. “Dex? Come on, ma boy.”

Dexter ran at breakneck speed and jumped on her lap. “There’s my good boy.”

She ruffled his ears and he kissed her on the lips. Liam walked over with a couple of bottles of water and smiled.

“He’s one happy wee dog.”

Mack laughed. “I’m making up for lost time. I hated being apart from ma wee pal.”

Dexter settled on her lap, and she took the water from Liam. “Thanks, mate. Did you talk to your wee cousin about a job here?”

“Aye, he’s really keen. He leaves school this week and would like to get working as soon as possible.”

In their first week, they’d only booked in a few of the regulars they’d both cut hair for over the years, but next week would start to be full on, and they’d need at least one person at the start as an assistant, and someone Mack could trust.

“Perfect, well, tell him the job’s his, and we’ll train him up as a barber if that’s what he’d like,” Mack said.

Liam took a swig of his water and said, “Did you find out anything about our new neighbour from the other shop? I asked at the cafe and they said she was, in their words, an oddball.”

Mack didn’t like that. “The manager of the coffee shop described her as a weirdo. Not a nice thing to say. She’s just quiet and shy, as far as I can tell.”

She didn’t want to tell Liam about their first encounter, a year and a half ago. That was Flora’s story to tell, if she wanted to.