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╮shit show of the season╰
sloane sighed through her nose as she slowly laced one of the black skates she had just finished sharpening. she ran her bottom row of teeth against her top lip as she carefully finished lacing the skate she licked at her lips as she let her arms hang tiredly at her sides. she laid the skate on its side and pushed it away to pull the other skate in front of her. she unwrapped the other lace she had loosely wrapped around her hand and carefully began to lace the second skate.
she glanced up when she heard the chime of the bell above the front door. she quickly finished lacing the skate, grabbed the first skate she laced and sat the pair on the small cart. she tucked her baby hairs behind her ears and hurried toward the front counter. she pressed her palms against the counter and smiled as a small girl shyly approached the register with her mother, a display skate clutched in one hand and her mother's hand in the other.
"hi, i really like your necklace. i'm a big butterfly fan," sloane said, motioning toward the butterfly necklace resting against the girls neck.
"thank you," the girl whispered and shyly buried her face into her moms side.
"what can i do for you?" sloane asked, laying her forearms cross the counter and leaning against them to better see the girl. she glanced at the girls mother as she softly nudged the girl's shoulder. she smiled reassuringly at the girl as she lifted her shaking hand to offer the skate.
"i-i want-want these, p-please," she quietly explained before pressing her cheek further into her mother's side.
"these are my favorite kind of skates. they're the only kind I wear," sloane said as she gently took the display skate with a soft smile and a wink. "what size do you wear?"
"a youth five," her mother answered as she pulled a small wallet from her purse. "how much are they?"
"fifty even," sloane answered as she rang it up on the cash register. she pulled open the register as she took the two twenty dollar bills and the one ten dollar bill the girls mother was holding out. "they'll be ready tomorrow afternoon," she informed with a small smile, sliding the bills into the designated spots and closed the bottom of the cash register.
sloane smiled at the little girl and waved at her as they walked away. she returned to the back room and picked up a thin sticky note pad from the counter. she quickly scribbled the girls shoe size on the sticky note and pressed it against the display skate. she glanced over her shoulder and smiled at hans as he slipped into the small back room.
