Chapter 161
Shania stood in the middle of the small bookstore she had frequented as a child, the familiar smell of aged paper and wood polish wrapping around her like a comforting hug. The memoir’s galley proofs were clutched tightly in her hands, her fingers trembling ever so slightly. She hadn’t been in this store in years, but it had always been a place where her dreams felt tangible.
The owner, a spry older man named Mr. Colton, shuffled over with a warm smile. “Back again, are we? Thought I might see your face soon, especially with all the buzz.”
“Buzz?” she echoed, puzzled.
Mr. Colton grinned knowingly. “Your memoir. Word travels fast in this town. Some of the kids from your center were in here a few days ago, saying how you’ve been working on something big.”
Shania’s cheeks flushed. The thought of her story already being talked about, even before it had been officially published, was both exhilarating and terrifying.
“I just wanted to bring a copy by,” she said, handing him the
