Licorice Wishes

Chapter One

Glass cases of color surround me. Rainbow hues ripple around the room, touching everything from the chocolate candies to the licorice sticks and gummy worms. I grew up here, in this enchanted place full of processed sugar and happiness. Now, looking around the candy shop, all I feel is emptiness. 

I tap the lollipop-shaped pen against the counter in an anxiety-laden cadence. “I can’t do this,” I say out loud as I nervously watch the door. 

Any minute now, a representative from the nursing home in the next town over is going to walk through the front door of the shop, expecting me to sign my nana, my sweetie over to them. I thought it was best for her, but the pain deep within my soul tells me it’s not. 

“I’m not doing it,” I say again, my voice shaking as tears fill my eyes. “I can’t.”

Soft fur nudges my arm, and a rumbling purr fills the space. Our cat, Pumpkin, all twenty-five pounds of him, rubs against my arm in agreement. I set the pen down and lug the orange puff ball into my arms. Burying my face into his fur, I allow a few errant tears to escape, releasing months of stress that this agonizing decision has caused. 

Pumpkin continues to purr, which is rare for him. The fact he spends his days in a candy shop has done little for his temperament, and truth be told, he’s usually a bit of a jerk. His purrs and content demeanor tell me all I need to know. Listening to my gut is the right decision. My nana, who is affectionately known as Sweetie by the entire town, always told me to listen to my gut. Trying to do the right thing, I ignored it. Now that the day has come to sign the papers, I can’t ignore it any longer. 

“Thank you,” I whisper into Pumpkin’s fur before setting him down on the counter. He stretches across the glass case and closes his eyes for a leisurely nap. 

Looking at him now, I realize it’s probably a little odd that a cat has free rein in a store that sells food. To be honest, I’m not sure it’s all that sanitary. Yet…I’ve never questioned it before, nor have any customers. Everyone’s face lights up when they enter Sweet as Pie and see our grumpy fat cat. He’s somewhat of a store mascot. 

Life in our small town is an otherworldly experience from most places, I’d imagine. Cherry Blossom Grove is a city in Northern Michigan that’s exactly like one would expect of a town with that name. Antique brick storefronts, that have been here since the town was established in 1900, line the downtown. There are exactly three traffic lights, two bars, five family-owned restaurants, and a collection of random stores that sell everything from books to cowboy boots to plush unicorns to candy. 

My best friend Abby’s family runs the cherry farm just outside of town, which is big business for the area, bringing in lots of summer tourists. My grandparents fell in love with this place one summer sixty years ago when they came to pick cherries. They loved it so much that they moved here and opened their own store, Sweet as Pie, an old-fashioned candy shop. I’m not entirely sure why my grandpa insisted on the name, given the fact that we don’t sell pies, but he found it hilarious. He would always get a kick out of tourists coming in expecting to leave with a cherry pie but leaving with five pounds of gummy bears instead. I think the name came from the nickname he gave my grandmother, Sweetie Pie, which was later shortened to Sweetie. 

My parents died in a car crash when I was a toddler, leaving me with only a few fleeting memories of them. My maternal grandparents raised me. My childhood was great, magical even. Living in the apartment above a candy shop definitely has its perks. My grandpa was a fun man and always made our life an adventure. He passed away six years ago when I was nineteen. Since then, it’s been just me and my Sweetie. 

A little over a year ago, I noticed Nana starting to forget things more than usual, and it’s progressed since then. She doesn’t remember her life more often than not lately. I was concerned about her safety being alone in the apartment when I’m down in the store, so I hired a sitter to keep her company. The store keeps me so busy that I feel like she’s always with a stranger, so I began to question if it was the right thing. I reached out to the closest nursing home, and they persuaded me they could give her a better quality of life. 

In my heart of hearts, though, I don’t think she’d want that. She’s lived in the apartment above the candy shop for most of her life, so I know she wouldn’t want to leave it. I’ll just have to figure something else out. 

The bell above the door chimes, and my pulse races as I look toward the entrance. I release an exhale when I see that it’s only Ben, my friend and one of the local firefighters. 

“Hey, you,” I greet him. 

“Hey, Evie.” He smiles wide and scans the walls. “The crew is having a potluck tonight, and I’m supposed to bring a dessert.”

“You sure you shouldn’t try the bakery?” I tease. 

“Nope. What I need is right…here.” He stops in front of the toffee candy bar bits. Grabbing a white paper bag from the stack beside the candy display, he opens the front of the candy case and scoops some chocolate pieces into the bag. 

“Are you sure broken bits of unwrapped chocolate and toffee are the way to go for a potluck?” I chuckle.

He looks at me with a tilt of his lip. “Nah, this bag is for me. You know I’m obsessed with this stuff. I’ll grab an assortment of the wrapped mini candy bars for the guys.”

“You want me to package some up for you?” I ask. 

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

As I bag up some treats for Ben’s firefighter buddies, the bell above the door sounds again. I freeze and look toward the sound, only to see my best friend, Abby, and her boyfriend, Matt, entering. 

She and Matt greet Ben. Abby wraps her arms around him in a hug. Abby and Matt used to be best friends with Ben’s brother Beckett before he left town suddenly at the end of our senior year. I always thought Abby and Beckett would marry someday, but things change. One constant here in Cherry Blossom Grove is that everyone knows everyone, and we’re all connected. 

Matt stays beside Ben and the two chat. 

Abby walks toward me and grabs my arm. “Did she come?” she asks softly. 

I shake my head. “Not yet. She’s late. But I’ve changed my mind.”

“You did?”

I nod. “I can’t do it, Abby. It just doesn’t feel right.” Tears come to my eyes again, just thinking about sending my nana to live somewhere else. 

“Oh, Evie.” Abby pulls me into a hug. “It’s a big decision, and you have to follow your heart. If it doesn’t feel right, then it’s not right. You love your nana more than anyone, and whatever you decide to do is the right thing. You’ll make it work.”

Abby drops her arms and steps back. 

“She’s still there sometimes, and I fear that if I put her in unfamiliar surroundings, then she’ll be lost completely. You know? I don’t think she’d want to leave her home or me.”

“Yeah, totally. Makes sense. What about hiring a nurse to help you?” Abby asks.

“I’ve been thinking about that, and I think that’s the next step. Then she can remain in her home with me and Pumpkin but still receive proper care.”

Abby nods. “That sounds good. And maybe hire someone else to help you with the shop. You work too much.”

“I know.” I sigh. “Adulting sucks.”

“Sometimes it does.” Abby grins. “Please say you’re going to Hazel’s bonfire tonight.”

“I can’t. I have to stay home with my nana.”

Abby whips out her phone and starts typing rapidly against the screen. “No way. You know Hazel’s Memorial Day weekend bonfire is huge. Plus, it’s my last hurrah before I’m drowning in cherries for the summer.” She laughs. 

She’s right. Cherry season isn’t long, but it’s intense. Abby’s pretty much MIA June through August as she helps her father on the farm. 

Her phone buzzes. “It’s settled. My pa will be at your house at nine to hang out with Ms. Sweetie. You be ready for some fun tonight.”

“Okay, perfect. Thanks.” I squeeze Abby’s hand. 

“Anytime. Hazel’s bonfire wouldn’t be the same without you.”

The bell above the door chimes, and this time, it’s the representative from the nursing home. 

I pull in a breath. “I better check Ben out so I can talk with her.”

“You got this.” Abby shoots me a reassuring smile.

“Thanks. I’ll see you tonight.”