Found My Heart

                                                                            (Abby)     Opening the store the first time after the funeral was so hard. "Nana's Attic" was my Nana's dream. She had always wanted a large family, but was never able to have them. She only had my father, and then my grandfather died suddenly after a fall from a ladder. It was hard on my grandmother and my father for a long time, but my grandmother worked hard and saved money to open this store. It is the most amazing place for a child, full of books and hidden places, and, best of all, the Pirate's Nest where kids can see the entire store and can hide away. "Nana's Attic" is a children's store, where customers can come to shop for books, toys, clothes, and regular everyday items that children might need. Nana loved this place, and I can feel her spirit here in every piece of it.      I turn on the open sign after setting up the register, and unlocking the door. I am opening a little earlier than normal, but the store has been closed for almost a week, and I feel that I might be able to bring in a little money if I open sooner. It has been so hard to bring myself back here, and now I am here by myself. Nana and I worked hard for me to go to college, and I was able to get my Early Childhood Education certificate, and with it we were working on expanding the store into an Early Childhood learning center. The building next door had come up for sell when the previous owner retired and moved away, but now I don't know how to do it. The business has been taking losses for a while, and I don't have the added income, or drive, right now to be able to continue with the update and expansion. The rent on the two buildings is taken care of, as is the loan we acquired for the expansion, as Nana's life insurance paid that off. We owned the house, as my grandfather purchased when they were married, but the business is starting to decline. I don't know exactly how to fix it, and I don't know if I even can. I want, and NEED, to fix it, for Nana. She worked too hard, for too long to build this place up, and I want to keep it going.      Looking around the front of the store,  I notice that one of the signs in the front window has fallen down. Singing quietly to myself, I climb up on the window sill and start pushing it back into place. As I am doing this, I hear the doorbell chime.      "Good Morning! I'll be right with you." I say over my shoulder to the customer.      "Take your time, ma'am. I am not in any rush." Replies a rich, warm masculine voice from directly behind me. The sound send shivers up my spine, and causes me to lose my balance on the window sill and fall backwards. I close my eyes and give a small shriek, but, suddenly, I am safely wrapped up in two strong arms. "Whoa, there. I didn't mean to startle you."      This time I open my eyes to see the most startling blue eyes I have ever seen, and a different type of shiver runs through me. They look so familiar, but I can't place them. His arms are strong and warm, and they feel so perfect cradling me to him. I suddenly realize where I am, and what I am doing. I wiggle just enough to get him to put me down, and as soon as my feet hit the floor I step away from him.      "Thank you, and No you didn't." I say to him. I sound like a crazed person though, and I inwardly cringe at how frantic I just sounded. "I mean. Thank you for catching me. That could have been very bad, otherwise. And, you didn't startle me, I just lost my balance. I am Abigail Whitry, by the way. I own the store."      "Hello, Abigail Whitry, I am Mitchell Hendricks, but you may call me Mitch." He extends his had toward me, and I shake it quickly before removing my hand from the sudden jolt I felt when our hands touched. He is looking at his hand as though it were trying to attack him, so...maybe he felt it as well. "I thought a Mrs. Nora Whitry owned the store."      "Oh, well, my Nana owned it until she passed away." Just saying those words caused a sharp pain to pierce my heart.      "The man's face showed a glimmer of sorrow, but it just passed quickly over his face. "I am so sorry to hear that. When did she pass, if I may ask?"      "Two weeks, and three days ago. She had a massive heart attack, and she was alone. I didn't find her until it was too late." I can feel the prickling of tears in my eyes as I say those words, so I quickly look at the floor and turn away toward the counter. Anything to put some space between myself and this weird reaction to this man and his words.      "I am sorry to hear that" I can tell from the sound of his voice that he is following me across the room.      "How can I help you? As I am the new owner of "Nana's Attic?"      "It's not about you helping me, Ms. Whitry, it's about me helping you. I  wanted to speak to you about helping with the business. I know that it hasn't been doing as well as it should be, and I know you are expanding, and, given who I am, I am interested in helping various small businesses in our area flourish and become more successful. I wanted to start here, with "Nana's Attic."      This man is crazy. He obviously doesn't know who I am, he is, or etc. He wants to randomly help some business and doesn't want anything in return?      "Why? Why would you want to do that?" My inner skeptic is on full alert now, and wants answers.      "Why? Well, those are my reasons."      "Then the answer is no. Thank you, sir, but no. I appreciate it, really. Now, if that is all, I will be seeing you out, as I have work to do. You have a great day now." I start toward the door, but freeze when he speaks to me again.      "Abigail, I am trying to pay back a debt that my family owes yours. I can't fix the problem, but I can try to do something to help you." His words bring more confusion and questions.      "What debt? What are you talking about?" I ask as I turn around and stare at him with my arms crossed.      "I'm the reason your parents are dead. I am the reason your all alone."