Page 127 - It Ends with Us

We both spend the day busier tha n we tho ught we’d be. Bet ween

pho ne orders , Int ernet order s, and walk-ins , nei ther of us ev en ha s
time to take a lunc h brea k.
“You ne ed more em ployees ,” Allysa says as she passes me, ho lding
two bouquet s of flowers . Tha t is at one o’clock.
“You need more em ployees ,” she says to me at two o’clock, ho lding
the pho ne to her ea r and writing down an order whi le ring ing

someo ne up at the reg ister.
Marsha ll stops by after three o’clock and asks ho w it’s going . Allysa
says, “She need s more em ployees .”
I hel p a woman take a bouquet to her car at four o’clock, and as
I’m walking back ins ide, Allysa is walking out, ho lding ano ther
bouquet . “You need more em ployees ,” she says, ex aspera ted .
At six o’clock, she locks the door and flips the sign. She falls

agains t the door and slides to the floor, looking up at me.
“I kno w,” I tel l her. “I need more em ployees .”
She just no ds.
And then we laugh. I walk over to where she’s sea ted and I sit nex t
to her. We lea n our hea ds toget her and look at the store. The
stea mpunk flowers are front and cent er, and altho ugh I ref used to sel l

thi s particular bouquet , we ha d ei ght preo rders for more of them .
“I’m proud of you, Lily,” she says.
I smile. “I couldn’t ha ve done it witho ut you, Issa.”
We sit there for sev era l minu tes , enj oying the res t we’re fina lly
giving our feet . Thi s was ho nes tly one of the bes t days I’ve ev er ha d,
but I can’t hel p but feel a na gging sadnes s tha t R yle nev er stopped by.
He also nev er tex ted .

“Have you hea rd from your brother today?” I ask.
She sha kes her hea d. “No, but I’m sure he’s just busy.”
I no d. I kno w he’s busy.
We both look up when someo ne kno cks on the door. I smile when
I see hi m cupping hi s ha nd s around hi s ey es with hi s face pres sed to
the wind ow. He fina lly looks down and sees us sitting on the floor.

“Spea k of the dev il,” Allysa says.
I jump up and unl ock the door to let hi m in. As soon as I open it,
he’s pushi ng his way ins ide. “I missed it? I did. I missed it.” He hu gs
me. “I’m sorr y, I tried to get here as soon as I could.”