“They have gelato here?” I questioned. “Are you sure it’s not just Italian ice?” “How can they have one and not the other?” she said.
“True. But I’m really in the mood for gelato now, so if they don’t have it, I might not get anything.” Mom laughed. “If they don’t have it, then I’ll take you somewhere else. Okay?” “Okay.”
We moved to get in line, and I squinted to read the tiny, almost illegible hand-printed menu sign. “Frozen ice, frozen slushies, frozen fruit bars …,” I read out loud.
“Aha! Gelato!” Mom said.
I read lower. “Yeah, but they only have four flavors.”
“Still, gelato is gelato.”
Mom put in her order for a scoop of vanilla bean, and I got one scoop of lemon custard. “At least they have good flavors,” I said as they handed us our bowls. “This looks delicious.” “Mmm-hmm,” Mom agreed, dipping her spoon in. “Let’s walk,” she said a minute later.
We wandered down the sidewalk, passing several stores along the way. Each window was decorated for Halloween.
“What’s your favorite season?” Mom asked. “Halloween or Christmas?” “Hmmm, tough one.” I sucked on the edge of my spoon as I thought about it. “With Christmas you have trees and lights and cookies. But with Halloween you have candy, pumpkins, and apple cider.” “Oooh, good point. I love apple cider.”
“I guess they’re both good for business here in Sleepy Hollow,” I said.
Mom nodded eagerly. “You are so right.” She got that excited look on her face again, and finished up the last of her gelato. Throwing the empty cup and spoon away, she glanced around us with a secret smile.
“Do you know where we are?” she finally asked.
I scraped the bottom of my bowl and then threw it away too. “Uh, yeah. Downtown.” “No, I mean where downtown.”
“Next to the …” I looked around and immediately recognized the bay window. “My shop! We’re at my shop.” Mom’s smile grew even bigger. “Go look at the window.”
I glanced over. There was a piece of cardboard hanging there, but the FOR RENT sign was gone. My heart sank.
Someone else got it. Someone else is renting it, and now I’ll never have the chance to open Abbey’s Hollow.
“It’s gone?” I said sadly. “Did someone rent it?”
“Just go look at it,” Mom said again.
I ventured closer. The cardboard sign said FUTURE HOME OF ABBEY’S HOLLOW. I stared at it, then turned back to Mom. “What does that mean?” She pulled a key out of her pocket and dangled it in front of me. “It means, do you want to go inside?” “Yeah, of course. But I don’t get it. What’s going on?”
“Just come with me. Let’s go inside.”
She walked over to the entrance and put the key into the lock. Pushing the door open, she gestured for me to follow behind her. I stepped inside the shop and couldn’t believe what I saw. It was clean. Clean, clean. No cobwebs, no dirty windows. No blown-out lightbulbs or dust-streaked surfaces. Everything had been freshly painted with a coat of white paint. Some new bookshelves lined one corner, and the floors were actually shiny.
“What do you think?” Mom asked, standing in the middle of the room, arms spread wide. “I know white isn’t the most glamorous color, but it’s just a base coat. I wanted there to be something other than that old tan shade that was here before.” “It’s gorgeous, Mom. I can’t believe everything is so clean. I’ve never seen it look this way before. But I still don’t get-” She held out the key. “Happy early graduation, Abbey.”
“What? I …? You …? What?”
“I called Mr. Melchom. The rent is paid up for a year. Since it was on the market for so long, I convinced him to cover all the utilities for the first six months too. So your expenses should be minimal at first.” I still couldn’t believe it.
“Take the key.” Mom laughed, shaking it at me.
I held out my hand, and she dropped it into my open palm. Is this really happening? Did I really just get handed the keys to my shop, with no strings attached? I glanced down at it. “Mom, I … I don’t know what to say.” She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. “Do you like it? I wasn’t sure what to get you, and then I thought this would be the perfect gift.” “It is perfect. Thank you. Thank you so much! I love it!” Walking around the room, I took it all in. It was like looking through someone else’s eyes. Everything was fresh and new. Suddenly I could see so much more. I could see myself here.
“Mom,” I said, trying to find the words to express what I was feeling, “I …” But I couldn’t find them. I didn’t know how to tell her I was sorry for every mean thing I’d ever said, or how I wished we would get to have more time to spend together. Mere words couldn’t tell her that she was the best mom ever and I was glad she was mine.
She must have known somehow what I wanted to say, though, because she nodded. I just smiled.
We stayed for a while after that, talking about options for paint colors and window treatments, and what artwork would look best hanging on the walls. I told Mom my idea about making it a fall-themed shop revolving around “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” with pumpkins and old books, and she loved it.
* * *
When I got home, I was practically bursting with excitement as I hurried up to my bedroom. I couldn’t wait to tell Caspian about the shop.
But when I opened the door, I saw him on the bed. Asleep.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Kame and Sophie’s office number. Uri picked up.
“Hey, it’s Abbey.”
“Hi. Everything okay?”
“Caspian is asleep again.” I tried to keep the panic out of my voice.
Silence met me on the other end of the line. Then he said, “Why don’t you just give it some time?” “Like, how much time?” I asked. “An hour? A day?”
“However much time it takes.”
I told myself to count to ten, trying not to scream in frustration at his answer. “Why does this keep happening, Uri?” I said. “Does it mean he’s slipping away from me?” Silence again.
“I’ll take that as a yes. One of you is around here somewhere, right?” I asked quietly.
“Kame. He’s in the neighborhood. Do you want him to stop by?”
“Can he do anything?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll just wait. As long as Vincent’s not around, I’m fine.” He said good-bye, and I hung up the phone, feeling angry and frustrated. All my feelings of happiness were completely gone. Settling myself in next to Caspian, I propped my chin in my hand, wondering how long it would take for him to wake up this time.
I had a hard time sleeping that night, feeling like Caspian was so far away from me, and I kept waking up. Around two a.m., I decided to grab something from the fridge. A snack might keep me distracted, at least for a little while.
A light was still on in the living room when I passed by, and I peeked in. The TV was turned down low, an old Western movie playing, and Dad was snoring away in the recliner. I shook my head and crept back out to the kitchen.
I found a turkey and cheese hoagie in the fridge and pulled it out, checking the expiration date. It was still fresh. I cut it in half and then wrapped up the remainder to put back. After stacking a couple of pickles onto the plate next to it, I carried my prize into the living room.