Junie was in the storeroom replenishing candles when she heard someone walk into the gift shop. She hurried out and was delighted to see her grandmother. Ella had been ill for months, so Junie was relieved to see her strong enough to go out again.
“Hello, my darling.” Ella greeted her with an embrace.
Junie expected to see her mother or Maileah with her. “Nana, are you here by yourself?”
“I am perfectly capable of managing on my own, you know.”
Junie worried about her grandmother, yet today, she did look well. Her face glowed against the rose-colored lace dress she wore. “Are you sure?”
“I’m quite capable of assessing my physical health.” Ella’s eyes glittered with determination.
Her grandmother had worked as an emergency room nurse at the small hospital she and her late husband had
