Four Months Later
I never thought I’d say this, but there I was, standing in a half-renovated storefront in the middle of Buttercup Lake, holding a vintage Darth Vader helmet and wondering what in the actual hell I was doing with my life.
There were paint fumes in the air, unopened boxes stacked like unstable LEGO towers, and a rumpled‘OPENING SOON’banner rolled halfway across the counter that had been in use a week ago, because now I was almost officially open. I had a soft opening that went well, and I’d been cranking up my hours more and more.
And somehow, I felt more alive than I had in a decade.
Fifi sat cross-legged on the floor near the front window, sorting through a bin of new merchandise with the kind of focus I loved watching.
“You sure about this one?” she asked, holding up a flocked Chewbacca. “He’s either very rare or needs conditioner.”
I grinned. “Both, probably.”
She shook her head, amused. “I still can’t believe you’re doing this. You, of all people. Mr. Cranky McBriefcase.”
“That was my name in another life,” I said. “I retired it.”
“And replaced it with Comic Book Ben, Hero of Nostalgia?”
I laughed and leaned back against the freshly painted wall, still slightly tacky. “It’s weird, isn’t it? The guy who used to argue liability now sells bobbleheads. I guess I’m ready for a fun childhood.”
“I think it’s adorable,” she said, then paused. “But also mildly concerning. Do you even like toys?”
“Not the modern stuff,” I admitted. “But vintage? That’s where the magic is. I grew up escaping into comics and cartoons because my home was... not exactly a comfort zone. So yeah. I like toys. I like what theymeant.”
She studied me for a beat, that thoughtful tilt to her head that always made me feel like she was reading more than just my words.
“You tapped your savings for this,” she said softly.
“Yeah.”
“All of it?”
“Most of it.” I nodded.
She let out a long breath. “Ben.”
“I know.”
“No, I mean…” She got up and walked over, standing so close I could smell her shampoo, coconut and something sweet, probably hope. “That’s a huge leap.”
“I know,” I repeated, softer this time. “But I couldn’t keep chasing a career that made me feel like I was failing, even when I won. I needed a reset.”
Her eyes searched mine, and I wasn’t sure if she was going to lecture me or kiss me or both.
Instead, she poked my chest with one finger and said, “Well, at least you had the good sense to open the only comic and toy store within a hundred-mile radius. In a town obsessed with quirky shops and summer nostalgia? You’ll do great.”
“You really think so?”
“Absolutely. Every tourist who steps off a bus looking for cheese curds and charm will stumble in here looking for a souvenir. Especially if you stock those creepy old action figures with bulging eyes.”
“I already ordered six crates.”
She grinned. “You’re a monster.”
I nudged her chin gently. “You’re my favorite customer already.”
She looped her arms around my neck, her face tipped up toward mine. “That’s because I’ve seen what you do for your customers. You built shelves with your bare hands.”
