At that age, kindness could be enormous and reckless at exactly the same time.
When we reached the café, Mrs. Patel was unlocking the front door.
She had owned the place for almost twenty years and hired Lily in June.
She looked at Lily.
Then at me.
Her smile disappeared.
“You told her?”
Lily nodded.
I stopped walking.
“You knew?”
Mrs. Patel slowly opened the door.
“Come inside, Rachel.”
That did nothing to improve my mood.
The café wasn’t open yet.
The chairs were still upside down on the tables. ExploreSectional Sofas
The pastry case was empty.
Mrs. Patel led us behind the counter and into the cramped office where Lily usually counted her tips after work.
She opened a metal cabinet.
“Before you get angry with me,” she said, “I didn’t realize how far she was taking this until recently.”
“That sentence is not helping.”
“I know.”
