𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗡 | 𝗡. 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗙𝗙

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐟

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Joanna Shannon loved the holidays.

In a world where people could be cruel, holidays never failed to show the best that humanity had to offer. Love and joy were celebrated, relationships grew stronger, and wounds were healed.

Joanna best liked to spend her holidays at the bookshop she owned along the Washington Channel. She didn't have any relatives—at least, none that were alive.

No children. No partner.

No, she'd missed her chance at love a long, long time ago.

And, maybe that was sad. But Joanna liked to see the bright side to life, and she lived vicariously through the lives of her customers.

"Toby is going to absolutely love this," Joanna assured Eileen Levine as she wrapped the three Star Wars Funko Pop action figures the young woman had picked out for her boyfriend. "He's been talking about this franchise for weeks."

Eileen shook her head fondly.

"I'm just glad they weren't sold out this time. Really, though, it was my fault for the last minute Christmas shopping."

Joanna placed the gifts in a bold red bag with pink hearts and handed it over the counter to Eileen with a grin.

"Well, lucky you were the first this time. You'll have to tell me how the dinner went sometime this week."

The brunette playfully rolled her eyes.

"You know that you're always the first to know, Ms. Jo." On her way out, she shouted over her shoulder, "Thanks for your help!"

"Anytime, Eileen! And Happy Valentine's Day!"

For the next few minutes, Joanna checked in on her employees, praising them for a job well done. Most of them she'd met while running the store—teenagers looking for a way to make their own money, adults searching for a second source of income after a hard break. A lot of her friends liked to joke that she had a penchant for wayward people, and she wouldn't like it any other way.

She was just returning to restocking the shelves when someone called out to her.

And when she turned, she saw a face she hadn't seen for months.

"Lee? Oh my God!"

Her first instinct was to open her arms and insist a hug from the other woman, only for her to recall that Lee wasn't usually a touchy person.

However, Lee saved her from thinking too hard about it when she engulfed her in her own hug.

"Miss me?" Lee asked, and Joanna pulled back to give her a look.