My first day at work went pretty smoothly, although I realized I had a lot to learn about things like crystals and herbs and a lot of the esoteric items Maxine sold in her shop. Around midday, when I’d accidentally almost overcharged a woman by confusing sodalite with lapis lazuli, Maxine handed me a paper with a number of websites listed. She encouraged me to check them out to help me with my new-age education.
Now, as the day was winding down, I glanced at the clock. The store would be closing in ten minutes. I wiped down the counters and gave the floor a quick sweep while Maxine closed out the cash register.
“You did great today, Gabriel.”
“Thanks,” I said, distracted by thoughts of asking her about how to deal with Vern. I really didn’t want to dump all my family drama on her, but s
