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With all the customers, Ana had barely been able to say two words to the man. But she figured a shop filled with beautiful handmade goods, happy people, and a festive atmosphere told her story better than she ever could.

By mid-morning, Ana was exhausted but elated, and determined not to take a break.

You’ve got to make hay while the sun shines, her friend Valerie would say.

Valerie was an incredibly fashionable woman, who had her own jewelry shop in town. Valerie sometimes looked out of place in rural Trinity Falls, as if she had been magically transported from a Paris runway, with her glossy bob haircut and fancy silk scarves. But she had grown up in a farming family, and Ana was pretty sure the work ethic she learned there was part of the reason for her success.

Someone in a changing room asked for help, and Ana hurried off to bring her another option while her mom rang up an order so big that the lady filled two reusable shopping bags with her purchases.

By the time afternoon rolled around, things had quieted down.

“Go have a cafecito,” her mom said fondly. “I’ll just clean up a little out here.”

The back of the shop looked like a tornado had come through.

“I can’t leave you to do this on your own,” Ana said. “What if a customer comes in?”

“Then I’ll stop and help them,” Mari said brightly. “Did you forget the name of the shop?”

She pointed to the window, where a sign hung that said Pura Vida in whimsical lettering.

Ana’s father was from right here in Pennsylvania, but her mother was from Costa Rica. Her dad had visited Central America on a volunteering trip and they had fallen in love rescuing sea turtles together. They eventually married and Mariangel had uprooted her whole life, leaving lots of family behind to come to Trinity Falls with him. Sadly, he had passed away when Ana was very little.

Instead of bringing Ana back to Costa Rica, where she had family support, Mariangel had seen her little girl thriving, and was determined to stay in what she thought of as her cold-wintered, but warmhearted new homeland. She had worked as a seamstress to keep a roof over their heads, mending garments, taking in prom dresses or letting them out, and learning the skills she would put to work when she and Ana opened their own shop.

She still loved going back to Costa Rica for visits, and said that the shop, named for the country’s unofficial but beloved national motto, made her feel like she was home.

Pura Vida technically meant pure life. But in Costa Rica, it was used in all kinds of situations, with many different meanings. Pura Vida could be a friendly greeting, or you could say it in place of “Oh well, what can you do?” when something long expected was late. It was cried out in celebration, and murmured as a consolation in defeat. But Ana’s mom’s favorite meaning was the one she was using right now: Relax a little, and enjoy life!

She gave Ana one of her irresistible smiles, and all Ana could do was smile back and be grateful for her.

“Ten minutes,” Ana told her. “And I’m bringing you back something.”

“Make it an hour,” Mari said, waving her off. “And I’m fine. I’ll pop upstairs for a snack when you come back.”

Ana grabbed her coat and headed to the door. She had no intention of being gone an hour. Now that they had Theo, they did their best to take advantage of the time that he spent in preschool to work as much as possible.

But a quick coffee and a moment with her friend Mal was just what she needed to recharge.

Opening the door to the dress shop, she was hit with a rush of frigid air. It almost tasted like snow, even though she was pretty sure it was too early for that.

Just outside, Randy Ullman, who worked for the borough, was directing one of the young volunteers from the firehouse as he hung a candy cane decoration from one of the lampposts.

Those decorations always went up just after Thanksgiving, and they marked Ana’s favorite time of year in Trinity Falls. Soon, every shop window would have their special holiday decorations proudly displayed, and the homes that lined the residential streets would be hung with lights, a fresh pine wreath on every door.

When she passed the hardware store, Tanner Williams waved to her through the big window as he stood at the counter making a purchase. Tanner was a local electrician, and Ana smiled at the thought of him being at the hardware store. Maybe he was just grabbing supplies for a client, but Ana suspected he was purchasing more outside extension cords for the big Christmas display he put out every year in the yard of the apartment building he owned on Park.

She turned the corner at Gabriel’s Drugstore, and headed down Park Avenue to the bakery.

It was an odd time in the afternoon, and quiet at the shop meant maybe she would get lucky and it would be quiet at the bakery too.

Maybe I’ll tell her about what happened with Rory, Ana thought to herself. If no one else is there.

Mal was the least judgmental person Ana knew. And she’d harbored an unrequited crush on her brother’s best friend for years, so she would understand how Ana was feeling.

The bells over the door jingled merrily when she pushed open the door to the bakery. It was deliciously warm inside and smelled like vanilla and coffee.

“Ana,” Mal said happily as she came out from behind the counter for a quick hug, her red ponytail swinging.