“Yes, I love everything to be in logical order. This is my Corner of Chaos, as I call it.” She pointed to mixed sweet jars. “And then over there is my Corner of Calm. All single colour sweets.”

“Then the toffees and chocolate things in the middle?”

“That’s right. It’s nice and logical.” Flora smiled warmly.

Isla responded to Flora’s reaction by visibly relaxing and smiling along with her. “Logical.” Flora made a promise to herself to talk to and understand Isla the way she would have hoped someone would have talked to her as a youngster.

Flora went over to the mixed sweets and joked, “If I could get away with separating these and selling them this way, I would, but unfortunately not all the customers are as logical as you and me.”

Isla laughed.

“I like calling it the Corner of Chaos. That’s what it looks like to me,” Flora said, “But come with me. I’ve got some jars that are especially for me.”

Flora led them out of the storeroom and over to the small back area of the shop, where they gift-wrapped presents and sorted out stock, and there were a sink, a kettle, and a microwave for breaks.

“You have a slush machine?” Isla said excitedly.

They stopped by the machine that was churning blue, red, and green coloured ice.

“Yes, the kids like it, but we keep it back here with the drinks fridge, so it doesn’t look too modern for our Victorian vibe out in the front. Would you like one?”

“Yeah, please.”

“Which colour?”

“Blue, please.”

Flora poured out a large clear plastic cup full of the blue slush and handed it to the excited Isla. Isla took a drink from the straw and then shivered.

“Mmm. It’s so good.”

Flora got another cup and poured out the same blue one for her. “I think I’ll join you. You know there’s some kids that want the three colours in the one cup?”

Isla’s eyes went wide. “That’s so wrong. It should be illegal.”

Flora laughed. “You are so right.”

She led them over to the shelves in the kitchen area. “This is my own personal stash. I love fruit sherbets and Love Hearts, but the mixed-up colours drive me mad.”

Isla grinned. “So you separate them out into tubs?”

“I do. Then I can eat them as they should be.”

“You know, when I have things like this”—Isla seemed buoyed by meeting a kindred spirit—“like fruit gums or Love Hearts, I eat them in colour order. Everyone thinks it’s strange—”

“But it’s only logical,” Flora finished for her. “Well, any time you want some sweets in a logical way, you can have them from my secret stash.”

“Thanks,” Isla said happily.

“We better get your orders ready.”