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She laughed, going to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pouted. “I’m sorry, I’m just kidding, of course I remember,” she said. With a wave of her hand, her purse appeared, and she removed a hand from his neck to pull out the miniature snow globe he’d given her on Christmas Eve.

His face lit up. “You still have it.”

“Of course. I’ve kept it with me ever since.”

He looked at her then with such tenderness on his face that she felt shy. He hugged her, arms tight around her torso as he held her close.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

Lucy felt like she should have been the one thanking him. Grayson did so much for her she was beginning to feel like she wouldn’t know how to live life without him. Her chest grew tight even thinking about it.

That same afternoon, Lucy was freshening up her bouquets when a familiar customer walked in, surprising her. And giving Grayson yet another chance to make her swoon.

“Jean-Pierre, hi!” she said, going over to him. He was a white man in his late thirties and came to the store often with his wife because she was an avid reader. Lucy always tried convincing Jean-Pierre to buy something as well, but he was averse to the idea of reading.

He was happy to pay for the stack of books his wife always left with, but he never got anything for himself, even though Lucy always asked. He didn’t believe in reading, he explained once. He just didn’t get it. Why not watch television? Have we not progressed past the need for books for entertainment? Even self-help books are better as podcasts.

When convincing him through conversation didn’t work, Lucy tried her book-magic, each time failing. He was resistant.

But a month ago, she had finally struck gold, and he had made a connection. It was a young adult novel about a girl learning to speak up for herself and heal from trauma.

“Lucy, dear, how are you?” Jean-Pierre asked, face kind. He ran a hand through his curly salt-and-pepper hair, pushing it back.

“I’m well, and you? How did you like the book? You haven’t been back since you got it, I’ve been dying to know!” she said.

“I’ve been very busy!” he replied. “And the book is why I’m here—I wanted to thank you.”

“You enjoyed it, then?” she asked, excited.

“I not only enjoyed it, but it changed my life,” he said, face earnest.

“Oh!”

“I’m going to adapt it into a film,” he continued. “It’ll do wonders to empower this generation of girls.”

“Oh my god! That’s amazing!” Her heart leaped.

She chatted with Jean-Pierre further, discussing his plans for the adaptation, and she couldn’t get over how cool it was. This man had been so against reading until she finally nudged him in the right direction, and now it was changing his life and so many others’!

It felt like a big accomplishment, and Lucy was certain when she told her parents they would finally be proud of her. They would finally understand that she wasn’t wasting her potential, she was doing something important.

After Jean-Pierre left, Lucy called her mom. Iffat picked up almost immediately.

“Lucy, hello?” Iffat said. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, I just wanted to tell you—I sold a customer this book a little while ago, and now he’s making it into a movie!” she said.

“Oh, wonderful. Are they going to give you a raise?”

All the excitement from a moment ago dissipated. Her heart sank.

Of course that was all her parents cared about.

“No,” Lucy said, voice blunt.

“Oh …” Iffat trailed off, not knowing what else to say. Tears welled in Lucy’s eyes.

“See you later,” Lucy said, hanging up.