I fell in step with her.
Angela sipped her hot chocolate. "They still live in Arizona. I met Gus, and moved with him when he got a job here.
"It must have been a shock coming to Colorado. Hot to cold."
She laughed. "It was, but I liked it right away. I fell in love with the snow."
"You ski?" I asked, wanting to know more about her.
"I went a few times in school. I'm not bad."
"Can I see Santa?" Ayla asked, pointing at the line waiting for Santa.
Angela shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"
Ayla ran ahead and started talking to another little girl in line. The mother waved at Angela, who returned the greeting.
"We can sit. Poppy's mom will keep an eye on them."
We sat on a bench facing Santa's workshop next to a large, decorated Christmas tree. "Is she a friend from school?"
Angela nodded. "I know a few of the parents at school."
"You don't know many people here?"
Angela laughed. "Not really. I participated in a few mommy-and-me classes when Ayla was little, but most people go to different schools, and we lost touch. Now I'm too busy with the store to participate in many of the outings with other parents."
"Are you going to move back into the apartment when everything is fixed?"
"It's convenient and cheap. Once the shop is successful, we'll get a place. Something like your house."
"What does success mean to you?" I asked, wanting to get to know her better.
"I want to turn more of a profit. I'm paying my bills at the moment, and that's about it. That's why I haven't hired anyone to work the counter. Ayla comes with me to work on Saturdays, and I'm closed Sundays to give us time together. Ideally, I'd be open on Sundays when I can hire help. It's a busy day.
"I have a feeling things are going to work out for you much sooner than you planned."
She blew out a breath, causing a strand of her hair to move. "My shop flooded, so I'm not as optimistic."
"Yeah, but it prompted you to add a display to Belle's store and open the online store."
She grimaced, cradling her hot chocolate. "I hit Publish on the online shop last night. It's been crickets so far."
"No one knows about it."
"I don't know how to market it."
"What about the email list from your pop-up days?"
"I tried to reach out to them when I did more recent pop-ups but didn't get much of a response. I'm almost afraid to reach out again. What if they don't want to hear from me?"
"Pop-ups are different than an online store. All you have to do is announce your shop and send them a link. See what happens."
Angela sighed. "I'll give it a try."
I'd learned one thing today; I liked making them smile, and I wanted to do it more often. Sitting on that bench watching the families in line, and talking about Angela's dreams, I felt content.
CHAPTER 10
