2

Maria lost track of time as she cried and rocked ba

ck and forth. She had to get a grip on her life—if not for her then for Layla.

Maria couldn’t go through life being afraid every time someone stared at her a moment too long. Or approached her to talk. Or tried to be her friend.

She believed in God, but now it was time to believe God and all the wonderful promises she’d read in His Word.

She wouldn’t be intimidated by faceless, nameless bullies any longer.

She stood up, straightened her shoulders, and went to the tiny bathroom to freshen up.

Returning to the front of the store, she stiffened her spine. The scent of the flowers wafted through the air. She took a deep appreciative breath.

Beauty for ashes. One of God’s promises.

Her hand touched the “Open For Business” sign as she stared out at the picturesque square. When the U.S. Marshal had shown her the photo of Sunberry’s square, she knew she could be happy here.

A huge white gazebo sat in the middle of the town square. On summer nights the local talent gathered to entertain citizens. The square was surrounded by an old brick road where the patrons of the local antiques stores and other quaint shops parked the old-fashioned way.

Sunberry seemed a million miles from the bustle of big cities, but it was less than an hour from the capital of Ohio. She’d wanted a place where she and Layla could be part of the community since they’d never see their own family or friends again.

Unfortunately, she was still as alone as the day they moved to town. But it was her own fault. People reached out to her, but she’d shunned their efforts, afraid to trust.

Maria closed her eyes in a wordless prayer and felt strength seeping into her spirit. I won’t let Raymond win. He isn’t going to steal my daughter’s joy or innocence. No more.

A smile played on her lips as she flipped the sign to open.

After reopening the flower shop, Maria focused on work. She paid bills, ordered supplies, and even had a few customers. Of course, she kept checking for the man, but he didn’t show up again.

Several hours later, two girls came skipping down the street, one dark-haired and the other a blonde. The girls reminded her of a whirlwind of leaves on a breezy fall day. So happy and carefree. Her eyes filled with tears at the giggling girls, glad she’d decided to stay in Sunberry, for now.

Thanks for the courage, God. Keep it up. Please.

She walked outside to greet them. “Hi, Jasmine.” She bent down to give Layla, now Jasmine, a hug, and then looked at the other girl. “Hello, Emily. How was school today?”

The little blonde girl grinned up at her with two front teeth missing. “It was good, Mrs. Minor.” She held up a chubby hand and opened it. “I lost another tooth today.”

“So you did. Would you like to come in and eat a snack with Jasmine?”

Layla put her hands on hips and gave Maria a disgusted look. “Mom, you’re supposed to call me Jazzy, remember? Not Jasmine.”

“I’m sorry. Would you like to share a snack with Jazzy?”

“I can’t. Mommy is waiting for me. We’re going to go buy some new shoes, and then have pizza. Girls night out, she said. Daddy has to work late and the boys are busy with baseball practice.”

“Sounds fun.”

“Can Jazzy come with us? I know Mommy wouldn’t care.”

Her daughter’s chocolate brown eyes lit up with anticipation. “Yeah, Mom. It would be so fun. Can I?”

Maria’s mind flashed back to the man staring at the flower shop. “Not tonight, sweetie. It’s a school night. Some other time.”

“Oh, Mom. I never get to have fun.” Jasmine whined, but stopped as Maria gave her “the look.” She turned back to her little friend. “Sorry, Emily. Maybe you can stay at my house on Friday night.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea.” Maria agreed. “Ask your mom about it tonight, and then we’ll make plans later in the week.”

“OK.” Emily waved before skipping down the street with blonde hair bouncing behind her.

Layla grabbed Maria’s hand, the girl’s cheeks rosy red with excitement, her disappointment at missing girls’ night out already forgotten. “Guess what happened today, Mom?”

I don’t know. What?” Hand in hand, they turned towards the store.

“No, you have to guess. You’ll never guess in a million, billion years.”

As she opened the door to the shop, a movement in her peripheral vision drew her attention. Her head jerked towards the street.

Empty. Emily must really be in a hurry to go buy those new shoes. She hurried her daughter into the flower shop. “So, tell me. What happened?”

“You have to guess.”

Maria followed Layla into the store. “You got an A on your spelling test?”

Layla giggled. “Well, I did, but that wasn’t the right guess.”

“You had pizza for lunch?”

“No, Mom. You gave me a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. You know that.”

“Oh. I forgot. I can’t imagine what happened today. Just tell me.”

“I’ll give you a clue. Maybe then you’ll figure it out.”

“OK, what’s the clue?”

The bell above her door tinkled.

A young woman walked in. She was thin and her brown hair looked as if it needed a shampoo. The girl smiled, but looked nervous. “Hi.”

Maria smiled back. “How can I help you?”

“I...uh...I wondered if you were looking for help. I can do anything. Clean up, or deliver flowers, whatever you need me to do.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t need any help.” She was barely making a living for her and Layla from The Bouquet.

The smile stayed on the girl’s face, but her shoulders slumped. She walked towards the door with a mumbled, “Thanks, anyway.”

Maria touched her shoulder before she could slip out the door. The girl looked at her, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Are you OK?”

She nodded, but a tear leaked out. She quickly wiped it away. “Just need a job. Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fine.” The girl walked out.

Maria stared out at the girl. Her intuition said the girl was in trouble. She hurried to the door. “Hold on a minute.”

The young girl turned back towards her.

“I do get busy on Saturdays. Why don’t you come this Saturday and we’ll see how it works out?”

The girl nodded; her eyes brightened. “Thanks. I’ll be here at eight.”

“Make it seven thirty. And no promises.”

“Sure, no problem.”

With a smile, Maria walked back in the store where Layla was waiting with her little hands on her hips. “It’s my job to help you on Saturdays.”

“And you still will, but she looked as if she needed assistance. And what’s our rule about helping others?”

Layla’s head twisted and she grinned. “We always help people if we can.”

“Good girl. Now...tell me what happened to you today. I’m all out of guesses.” She leaned in and put her arms around her daughter, and then tickled her. “Now, tell me. No hints. No guesses, just tell me, Jazzy girl.”

Layla giggled. “No, never.”

After more tickles and laughter, Layla relented. “OK. OK, I’ll tell you.”

Maria removed her hands. “I’ll stop, but I’m warning you. I can catch you if I need to tickle the answer out of you.”

Layla held up a hand. “OK. OK, I’ll tell you, but I think you’re going to be surprised.” She paused dramatically, eyes shining. “I saw Daddy today.”