Esther nods. “That’s why I’ve enlisted Wendy’s help. She’s a wiz when it comes to crochet.”
“Esther had a large order come in right before she left.”
“I didn’t want to cancel on you or them,” Esther continues. “You know how much I love this camp, but I also don’t want to let down my customer.”
“Plus her rating will go down and it’ll be bad for business,” Wendy adds. “Reviews can be brutal.”
“How many more do you need to make?”
The women exchange another look. “Fifty,” Esther admits.
“Fifty? That’s one big bridal party.”
“It’s for the bridal shower. The maid of honor wants to include them in the gift bags.”
“I hope you get them finished so you have time to enjoy the rest of camp.”
“We will,” Esther says. “Even if I have to double my arthritis medication.”
“Please don’t do that.”
I exit the cabin and make a mental note to keep Olivia away from any amigurumi sessions. I can just picture the back-to-school essay highlighting what she did over the summer break.
After posting the revised schedule in the discord group as well as a physical copy on my office door, I head to the cafeteria for breakfast. Bernie is setting out a bowl of bananas as I arrive.
“Everything going okay?” I ask.
“The strawberries are turning already, so I’ll have to buy more for this week unless you want me to skip them.”
There’s no question that I have to skip them. The budget is too tight this year. “How are the blueberries?”
“Ripe and ready.”
“Okay. We’ll stick with what we have for this week. Thanks.”
I take a banana and a small yogurt container and join a group in progress, where I’m greeted with a chorus of ‘good morning.’ I notice Charlie sandwiched between Angela and Stefan.
“How does this compare to your usual five-star accommodations, counselor?”
“I miss my morning cappuccino, but otherwise not too bad. It isn’t every day I wake up to the sound of … nothing.”
“That’s my favorite part,” Adam says. His mask is off as he nibbles on a banana.
I rip off the lid of my yogurt, triggering Chewy’s senses. The Yorkie’s head pops up and he scents the air.
“Do you mind?” Adam asks.
He knows I don’t. We’ve been doing this for years. He dips his spoon into my yogurt and offers it to Chewy. The dog’s little tongue makes short work of the yogurt.
“The rest is mine,” I tell Chewy. The dog settles back down on his companion’s lap.
“Well, I woke up to the sound of Hunter singing in the shower,” Angela says. “His cabin must be next to mine.”
Charlie’s brow creases. “He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who sings at all, let alone in the shower.”
“Everybody sings in the shower here. It’s basically a competition to see who sounds the best,” Angela says with a wink at me.
“The acoustics are amazing,” Adam agrees, catching on to the ruse.
