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The next day at work, Annie seemed almost nervous to show me the “Going Out of Business Sale” poster that she had made. I had been expecting this, so my reaction was carefully measured. “I’ll help you hang it up.” I smiled at her as I made the offer, working to keep any sign of sadness out of my eyes.
“You’re sure?” she asked, still unconvinced.
Once we had the sign posted to her satisfaction, I busied myself with cleaning knick-knacks to keep my hands busy. It was fun listening to Annie greet and entertain the smattering of customers that trickled in and out. I was really going to miss getting to hear Annie’s quirky, offbeat comments and unsuspecting strangers’ reactions to her. I hoped that she was right, and that we would still get to see each other regularly once the store was cl
