A soft ringing accompanied my entry. As the door swung shut behind me, it locked out the piercing wind and the chill it drove. The store was warm, smelling of tangy wood and spicy herbs. The warm light that had fallen through the shop window onto the gray of the street had drawn me in. Normally I always rushed past stores like this, but now I wondered why.

It was nice here. Perhaps a bit cramped and crowded, but everything seemed in place; just right where it was. Figures, primarily of animals, plus pendants, boxes, toys. Lots of nice odds and ends, some jewelry, a few practical things like decorated tins or combs.

I strolled along the shelves and little tables, looked here at the beautiful grain of a wooden bracelet, stroked there with light fingertips over a wondrously smooth little ball on a cushion. The only irregularity was formed by an embossing in the shape of a fern frond, so delicate and detailed that I wondered how the artist had managed it. If I looked really closely, was there a ripple going through the tiny leaves?

I grinned at my senses playing tricks on me. I had been really stressed lately. It was probably good that I took a short break. Sometimes it was just the little things that seemed insignificant that pulled you out of dull, unpleasant thoughts. But actually, I didn't have time for that.

Without realizing it, I had arrived at the back of the small store, where a young woman with curly auburn hair smiled at me from behind a narrow counter.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Oh, no. Just browsing."

She nodded. "Take your time. It's not exactly pleasant outside." With a wink, she raised a cup to me in greeting. The smell of herbs intensified, wafting to me in a warming breeze.

I relaxed. I didn't like vendors breathing down my neck, urging me to buy something.

All day my thoughts had been like the weather. Gray, dreary, overcast, uncomfortable. But now I was breathing more freely, my frantic pulse had quieted. The pieces on display had a simplicity that gave me balance. Different types of wood and other natural materials, such as small gemstones or pine cones, nestled harmoniously together.

A passageway? Curious, I glanced through the open narrow door. Ah, the workshop.

A man stood, half with his back to me, at a workbench, apparently fiddling with a new piece for the store. I couldn't get a good look at what he was working on, but it appeared to be some sort of miniature lamp, shaped like a flower, with the blossom open and pointing downward. A soft glow emerged from the lampshade. The curve of the green stem had changed the next time I saw it. Was it wire? Or was the man bending wood into a different shape with steam?

Something irritated me, but it took me a moment to realize what it was. There were tools on the table, but they shone as if they had never been used. There were no leftover pieces, no wood chips, no jars of paints to color with.

Under the man's hands, the calyx suddenly opened a little more and the glow became more intense. Surprised, I inhaled louder than I had intended. How is he doing this?

He had noticed me and threw me a smile over his shoulder, his eyes hidden in the shadow of his half-length auburn hair. I knew that smile already.

"Tea?"

I winced. The young woman had approached me and was pressing a cup into my hand.

"I..."

She smiled again and her eyes flashed with amusement.

"Go ahead and drink. You'll have to get back out into the wet and cold soon enough."

She looked past me into the workshop and nodded slightly.

"Fascinating, isn't it? My brother is a real artist. He especially likes working with plants. I'm more into animals."

"How...?" That was as far as I got. She glanced at me again. Her eyes were different colors, I only noticed now, one green, the other blue.

I didn't want to stare and sipped my tea out of embarrassment. It was at a perfect drinking temperature and immediately trickled warmth throughout my body. The herbs were tart, but not too strong. I didn't even try to guess what the tea's ingredients were; I knew too little for that.

With a comfortable sigh, I took another sip.

"It's a good one, thanks."

"Well, you're welcome!" She flashed a smile at me and the warmth of the tea slowly rose to my head as well.

"Do you need anything else?" Her friendly voice reached my ears only in a muffled way. A relaxing heaviness filled me. Hadn't I wanted to ask something? I couldn't get the thought clear, so I let it go.
My eyes closed; there was nothing I could do about it. I felt only warmth, in my hands, in my heart, in my head.

"I think... I think I need a break."

I rubbed my eyelids with two fingers. What a chill. And this constant gray was really pulling at my nerves.

Why had I stopped? I had to move on quickly, didn't have time, still had so much to do.

Suddenly I noticed that I was clutching something with my other hand. The bright light of the street lamp did not reach me well through the drizzle, but I could make out the outline of a small figure. I lifted it closer to my face to look at it. Was that a squirrel? Yes, curled up as if it were in hibernation, tail tucked over its nose, snuggled in comfortably. As if by themselves, the corners of my mouth lifted. The detail was incredible and the miniature, apparently made of wood, was warm.

How long had I been holding it? Was it even mine? I couldn't remember buying it or finding it.

Again I looked at the small animal in my hand. It almost seemed like I could see the steady breath that, just a tiny bit, lifted the squirrel's side.

Huh, that probably wasn't a good sign.

I took a deep breath, feeling the wetness on my face and hands, the cold biting through my clothes. I was exhausted, had been for so long that it felt normal to be rushed and tired.

It can't go on like this.

I stroked the animal figure's back, nodding at it, even if I felt silly doing it.

A break. I would give myself a rest.