CHAPTER 20 THE CHILDREN’S CORNER
The children’s corner needed a new moon.
Clara resisted for weeks.
The original painted moon had faded to a pale yellow crescent with scratches near the bottom where generations of small shoes had struck the wall.
“It stays,” she told Eli.
Then a four-year-old asked why the moon looked sick.
Clara reconsidered.
On the first Saturday in December, they closed the corner behind canvas drop cloths.
Eli repaired the wall.
Noah supervised.
Clara painted.
This was a mistake.
“You’re outside the line,” Noah said.
“There is no line.”
“There should be.”
Eli turned away to hide a smile.
Clara pointed the paintbrush at him.
“Do not.”
“I said nothing.”
“Your face did.”
By noon, the new moon was finished.
Not identical to June’s.
That had been intentional.
Clara painted a larger crescent surrounded by small stars. Beneath it, Eli installed a low shelf shaped like a gentle wave.
They placed June’s old rocking chair beside it.
Old and new.
Together.
At story hour, Clara read the Christmas account from Luke to a room full of children and parents.
She read of Mary and Joseph, the journey to Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, the shepherds, and the angel’s announcement of good tidings.
The children were unusually quiet.
When she finished, Noah raised his hand.
“Was Aunt June with Jesus last Christmas?”
Clara’s throat tightened.
“She was still here last Christmas.”
“Oh.”
He thought.
“Then she’s with Him this Christmas?”
“Yes,” Clara said softly. “I believe she is.”
Noah nodded, satisfied.
After story hour, parents lingered.
One mother thanked Clara for reading Scripture without turning the event into a sales pitch.
Clara smiled.
“Some stories are not merchandise.”
That sentence went into the ledger later.
That afternoon, Beth asked Clara whether she had considered a children’s book club.
“Monthly?”
“Twice a month. Different ages.”
Clara opened a spreadsheet.
Beth laughed.
“What?”
“You really do solve everything with spreadsheets.”
“Not everything.”
Clara looked through the window toward Eli, who was outside helping Noah hang paper snowflakes.
Beth followed her gaze.
“Right.”
Clara gave her a warning look.
By closing, they had scheduled two clubs for January.
The shop’s calendar was filling.
Author nights.
Bible study on Wednesday mornings hosted by Reverend Hale.
A poetry group.
Children’s clubs.
A monthly local-history evening.
The reading room had become what June intended.
People came for books and stayed because they felt at home.
After closing, Clara sat in June’s rocking chair beneath the new moon.
Eli joined her on the floor.
“You tired?”
“Completely.”
“Happy?”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
Clara looked at the room.
“I think this is the first time I changed something of June’s and didn’t feel guilty.”
“The moon?”
“Yes.”
“You kept the chair.”
“I wanted to.”
“You kept the spirit of the corner.”
“I hope so.”
Eli rested his arm on his knee.
“Preservation isn’t freezing time.”
“You should put that on your business cards.”
“Too many syllables.”
She laughed.
Then she looked at him.
“Thank you for teaching me that.”
“June started it.”
“You helped.”
He kissed her hand.
The new moon dried above them.