Chapter 1

"Delancy!" I heard my father shout, running up the staircase.

"What's wrong?" I replied a bit startled as I dropped my hairbrush and ran up to the doorway.

"Come here, you'll never believe this!" He continued trying to hide the growing excitement in his eyes.

"What's going on?" I asked again while tying up my bathrobe but instead of a reply he grabbed my hand and pulled me down the stairs with him.

"Delancy look at this!" He smiled while taking up sheet of paper off the counter.

"It's a loan document," I said a little puzzled while narrowing my eyes at it.

"Read it!" he continued his smile brightening by the second.

"Well...It says our debt is paid in full."

"Yes!" He laughed unable to contain his excitement. Understanding this, I also gave my father a warm smile.

"Oh I see, we've finally paid off one of our debts." To my surprise, he shook his head and smiled even brighter.

"Delancy, I haven't told you this but," he smiled then took back the document, "this loan was the final one we had to pay off!"

"What!?" I said putting my hand over my mouth as I began to understand what he was saying.

"Lately I've been - we've been working harder than usual because I was trying to pay off our final loan and now that we have, I thought I would surprise you."

"Dad, do you know what this means!" I cried putting my hands on his shoulders "No more loans means we're finally out of debt! We can finally stop worrying for once!"

"And we can do something we like for a change!" My father continued still smiling."

"And we can order more stock!"

"Or go on a vacation!"

"Or even hire more people!"

"But most importantly, we can finally spend time with each other." My father concluded with a warm smile.

I leaned in and hugged him for I felt a wave of indescribable elation. "Dad, we've finally done it. We're okay now." I said almost bursting into tears.

"But it's mostly because of you. Your mother would be so proud of us now." Our warm hug was disturbed by a tapping from the store’s glass window.

"Delancy!" I heard the warm voice of my friend Daniel call as he stuck his face to the window and waved a hand to me. "Aren't you guys going to open up? It's already after eight!"

"Dad opens the door and lets him in," I said as I turned back to him and pointed to the keys he had in his pockets.

"I don't know. That boy's just trouble." He replied still smiling and rubbing his chin while gesturing to Daniel whose face was still stuck to the window but this time he was brandishing puppy-dog eyes.

"Come on dad let him in!" I pleaded one more time before he finally gave in. He gave me a light squeeze before walking up to the door and unlocking it, letting Daniel in.

"Now, I don't want any games, okay?" he said to him with a serious face though his smile still lingered.

"Of course, Mr. Monroe!" My friend smiled before crossing his fingers behind his back.

"I'll go and finish opening up. You two can do....whatever it is that you do." My father sighed while still trying to hide his smile as he walked off.

"What's up with him?" Daniel asked as he jerked a thumb in my father's direction.

"What do you mean?" I smiled still feeling elated.

"I don't know he seems a bit...happier?" As he spoke, I looked in my father's direction and I was surprised to see that he was whistling and spinning the store keys on his finger.

"He's all right…We're all right." I smiled as I looked at the sun shining through the windows. "We're all right."

"Are you sure? And by the way, why are you still in your bathrobe?"

"What!?" I screeched as I followed his finger which was pointed at me. "O-Oh...I must have forgotten to change into something before -"

"Before coming down?" He teased.

"It's not my fault! My father was the one who dragged -" before I could finish my sentence, the sound of the door swinging open as customers walked in stopped me. "Oh my god!" I gasped as I realized that I was standing right at the cash register in plain sight.

"Now, now, let's not waste any time, either you can go and change or serve them as you are!" Daniel said while clapping his hands at me and giving a troublesome smirk.

"Yeah, whatever... I'll be right back."

***

When I finally came down, I was surprised to find my father serving all the customers with a bright smile. This was an odd thing to see because even though my father was a nice man, he hated serving the customers. I smiled lightly at him before crossing my arms when I saw Daniel skidding down one of the aisles with a handful of supplies.

"What are you doing?" I asked, putting a hand on my side.

"Helping to stock up!" He said, grinning brightly.

"Huh?"

"Your father asked me to do it because you were taking too long."

"Well if you're trying to help, you could at least walk instead of sliding across the floor!"

"But that way wouldn't be fun!"

I couldn't help but sigh as I saw it useless arguing with him. "Daniel, you're impossible."

The bell on the door then suddenly jingled as it swung open and a smile became plastered across my face when I saw that it was my friends Samantha and Victoria.

"Delancy!"

"Delancy!"

They both screamed as they ran up to me and gave me a warm hug.

"Sam! Tori! What are you guys doing here this early!?"

"We were passing by when we noticed that you guys were open so we dropped in!" Victoria said smiling brightly.

"Tori, that's nice but where were you guys going this early?"

"We were going over to Mr. Baker's. I heard he's got a new mistress."

I had to shake my head as they giggled in unison. They were at it again.

"You guys should stop, you can't just go around investigating and gossiping about everyone."

"Oh really, wait until you hear who it is! Didn't you hear about-"

"Sammy! Vicky! How's it going?" Daniel called as he slipped past the counter and ran towards us.

"Hold it right there! Didn't I tell you to stop calling us that?" Sam said rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, and it's Tori, not Vicky!" Victoria growled at him.

"Okay sorry... But I still think your names sound better the way I call them though."

"Yeah I suppose does sound better... If I were a witch!" Tori spat at him.

"Yeah, and stop calling me Sammy."

"All right, all right!" he sighed before turning to me. "So Delancy what are you going to do today?"

"Mmm, I think I'll stay and help my father."

"But that's what you do every day!"

"She’s always chosen to work with her father so there's no use in arguing with her," Sam said stopping him as he was about to go into a debate with me.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He said with a resigning nod.

I couldn't help but smile as I knew I was lucky to have friends who could always understand me.

Even if they were a handful.

"Delancy!" My dad yelled.

"Oh, no!" Daniel said in a small voice while cringing.

"Who the hell broke these bottles?" My father asked, glowering as he approached us.

I immediately pointed a finger at Daniel who was wearing a guilty look.

"Didn't I tell you to pack only the boxes and leave the rest?"

"Yeah, I know but I thought I could help."

"Why can't you ever listen to a word I say?"

"Come on Mr. M. give me a break!" He said smiling wildly and nervously.

"Yeah, I guess I could... I'll start by breaking your neck!"

Daniel's face lit up with fright and he took off as soon as he saw my Dad's expression.

I erupted in laughter as Daniel ran out of the store when my father grabbed at him but he escaped, my dad, cursing and swearing at his retreating figure while Samantha and Victoria joined in laughing as well.