“Kayle Grimes?” a female voice said as I inspected the tubes of paint in the Michaels I was surprised to find in town a day later. The store hadn’t been there when I was growing up, but I was in desperate need of cadmium red, and couldn’t wait the few days it would take to get it from my preferred source. An online search had led me here.
I turned to face the woman who seemed to be about my age, give or take a year or two. She was a redhead, with freckles on her nose and hazel eyes. Her name badge read “Laura,” and she was apparently the store manager. “Yeah?”
“It is you!” For some reason, she squealed and bounced in place before hugging me to her petite frame. I practically towered over the woman. “Ohmigosh, I wasn’t sure since you looked so different. But those brown eyes are still the
