Not usually so blunt, Lauren took a deep breath, preparing to exaggerate the number of customers. But it was wrong to do that, and she knew she had to stop. She would start now. No time like the present. “They were terrible, Mom as in, none. Nada. We had a couple of people come in to browse, and that was it. Madison stopped by for tea, we had a nice chat, caught up with each other’s lives. That pretty much sums up my day.” She hadn’t told her about Lee Hessinger—she would eventually, but only when the time was right.

“I don’t understand why. Razzle Dazzle has prospered for decades. This isn’t normal, Lauren. I remember a time when I could barely keep the shelves stocked,” her mother said, clearly disappointed in Lauren’s answer.

Here we go again, Lauren thought. But no, I am not getting into this with her now. She’d already tired of the discussion, which had been going on for the past three years. Eventually, they would understand. If not, that was the end of the line for Razzle Dazzle Décor. And while she felt that it was her duty to fund the shop for a couple of months, after that, her parents would have to come to terms with the new reality, and she prayed they would join the rest of the civilized world in the twenty-first century.

“Mom, we’ve had this discussion so many times that, honestly, I’m too bushed to get into it all over again right now. You know where I stand, and so does Dad. It might help if you’d convince him to think of expanding.” She walked over to where her mother sat, gave her a hug, and kissed the top of her head. “Night, Mom.”

Upstairs in her room, Lauren slipped on her flannel pajamas and slid beneath the heavy covers. Her mind went over the events of the day. She smiled when she thought of Madison’s news. She and Scott had been trying for years to get pregnant, and now it was their new reality. She couldn’t wait until this new little being was introduced to the world. She often thought of her own biological clock, her dreams to one day have a family of her own. It might not happen for her. She thought she was good with that, but now, hearing Madison, seeing the joy, the excitement of what lay ahead of her, she couldn’t help but feel a tad bit envious. Some women weren’t meant to have children, and maybe she was one of those women. Career-oriented. Driven. A cat lady.