Chapter 15R
ita hasn’t drawn breath all day. It’s Janet’s day off and Mitzi came in so flushed and sweaty, Rita sent her back home. For eight hours, she’s been stocking shelves, bagging groceries, and taking donations. By the time the last client leaves, she’s happy to lock the door and make a cup of tea before she mops the floor, muddy with melting slush, then tackles the stack of neglected paperwork. She needs to check the inventory and place an order with Empire State Grocers by five o’clock. She groans, arches her back, rolls her shoulders. She’s bushed. Ceci was up half the night with an earache so Rita spelled Connie, dispensed the warm ear drops into the reddened hollow, rocking Ceci in her arms until they took effect. Rita reaches for her rosary, forgetting it’s not there.
Just a
