Thanks to the necessity of sobering up while still at the bar, I awoke the next morning without the trace of a hangover. I also woke up shockingly early, for me-- it was just past 7AM.  I grabbed my phone to check in on Rose.  

How’s the patient? 

He’s OK!  More annoyed than anything. His mom has been… attentive. Between that and not sleeping we’re all a little cranky.

Woof

Yeah. His dad left earlier to go inventory what was taken. But I think he mostly just wanted to get out of the house.

Was a lot stolen?

They noticed some small stuff missing last night, and the register was emptied. We’ll know more later I guess.

Dude when you promised me small town excitement I did not expect you to deliver this fast.

Hah me neither.

Can I do anything?

Nah-- I’m going to stay with Allen for the rest of the day but might come sleep at home tonight. I’ll let you know.

K. Call me if you need a ride. I haven’t crashed your car (yet).

LOL well the day is still young so I won’t hold my breath.

RUDE

xxoo

I texted her a series of heart emojis then fell back against my futon. It was a Saturday morning in a small town, and I had no responsibilities, nothing to do, and no one with which to do it.

I also had very little in the way of food, I discovered as I rummaged through Rose’s cupboards. She had eggs in the fridge but there was no way in hell I was getting anywhere near that stove again. I hunted for cereal to come up with oatmeal. That certainly wouldn’t do. The biggest disappointment came in the form of dozens of different types of tea… but no coffee. With Rose’s car keys still sitting in the bowl by the door, my choice was clear.

I’d passed a coffee shop on my ill-fated sojourn to the grocery store earlier that week and I was able to navigate myself back there without too much difficulty-- at least until it came time to park. I was pretty sure parallel parking wasn’t one of those skills that landed under the “just like riding a bike” category, and even if it did I sucked at that too. I crept down the street in Rose’s car, looking for an area I thought I could navigate without property damage. I’d gone several blocks past my destination when I finally found a row of open parking spots, allowing me to pull over safely in spite of my lack of skill. It wasn’t until I got out that I realized I had parked in front of the Fairweather Antique Shop.

Police tape waved across the front doors. I hadn’t really paid too much attention in the dark chaos of the night before, but the shop really was massive-- it looked like someone had converted a barn that had stood since before the town was formed. Which, as I recalled that this particular establishment was about to celebrate a centennial, could very possibly have been the case.

Curiosity drew me closer, and I stared at the damaged front doors. They were wood with inlaid glass panels, or at least they had been. One door hung open, listing on its hinges, and shards of glass littered the entryway. A cloud shifted overhead and a ray of morning sun lit up the sidewalk; I noticed a few tiny pieces of glass scattered among the bushes, glinting like crystals against the green leaves.

While I couldn’t say I’d never thought about popping Allen one before, it hardly seemed fair to sneak up on someone in the dark and hit them from behind. It gave me shivers if I put myself in his place. I hoped the police would catch the culprit, and that Rose’s future family hadn’t lost too much in the encounter.