Rosewater Bookstore Novels & Stories

Chapter Forty — Full Circle The bookstore was small, tucked between a coffee shop and a florist downtown. The kind of place Elena would’ve walked past a year ago, head down, shoulders tense, heart elsewhere. Today, her name was in the window. In chalky, hand-lettered script: AUTHOR EVENT: ELENA ROSE — READING & SIGNING She stood on the sidewalk and stared for a long time. Jack stood beside her, one hand resting lightly on her lower back. Lila pressed her face to the glass, giggling at the display of books and paper cranes hanging from fishing line like tiny messengers of hope.

"Interview for what?" "A job. Part-time. At a bookstore near campus." "Why do you need a job?" "Because I want one. Not everything needs a deeper reason." I headed for the door. "I'll see you at home." "Wait—" But I was already gone. ✿ Desert Bloom Bookstore was exactly what I'd hoped for. Tucked between a coffee shop and a vintage clothing store, the entrance was framed by climbing jasmine that filled the air with sweet fragrance. The windows displayed carefully curated selections—current bestsellers mixed with classics, all arranged with obvious care.

Someone ripped it. April Rose felt like there were a lot of important information about Cassandra Spellflower that was taken out of the book. She felt a surge of eagerness to know more about Cassandra. She flipped the pages of the book hoping to find the ripped pages, but she couldn’t find them. She grabbed a different book, flipped the pages over and over again only to find nothing but dust falling. She grabbed two more books and flipped them in hopes of finding the missing pages. Instead of finding the ripped pages, she noticed something fell from one of the books she just flipped. It was an old photo. She went down on her knees and picked up the photo, and when she flashed the light on it

Trying to control her melancholy with one more thought that this year would pass quickly, Rose opened one of the cookbooks she had brought with her and began to scribble down some modifications to the recipes she wanted to make, silently wondering if her husband and jailer would allow the unless she visited a bookstore once a month, to have something to distract herself with, when she had finished rereading everything she had brought from home. The soft sound of someone walking on the bed behind her alarmed her and, turning quickly to see who might be sneaking up on her, Rose was surprised to find not Jullian, Aaron or any other staff who might be working in the huge place. In fact, standing

Rose crossed herself, her golden crucifix shining on her anxious collarbone. Rose quirked a blonde eyebrow, then smiled, putting her gun down. "Is this Ms. Iktapati good with alcohol?" The strange aswang winked. "You get me, kano." Rose pulled out some cheap Napa Valley wine from her backpack, and she and the aswang took sips. It wasn't like postdocs were loaded. Still, it was a good vintage - it had been a good year for rain. Dry, dusty, the grass brown. Then, suddenly, green under California stars.

It felt good to imagine being one of them again. I pulled up a list of nearby shops that were hiring. Nothing fancy. A bookstore. A small bakery. A florist. I decided to start with the bookstore. It was tucked between a laundromat and a pawn shop, the kind of place where time moved slowly. The sign read HARROW & SONS BOOKS, letters fading at the edges. I pushed open the door, and a bell chimed softly above me. Inside, it smelled of dust and old paper. A man behind the counter looked up, his glasses sliding down his nose.

The warm atmosphere chilled significantly at the interruption. The waiter stood there awkwardly, holding the roses, unsure whether to do as she said. When Heather remained silent, he chose to leave silently. This did not deter Charles at all. He continued to send a bouquet of roses, pink this time, to her studio every single day. None of the bouquets even made it inside; they were disposed of in the trash can almost immediately. At another art exhibition, Charles confronted Heather at the entrance and demanded why she refused to accept his flowers.

"Whatever happens, we face it together." "I know." "You're not alone." "I know." He squeezed. Held on. The Bookstore The store was small, wedged between a coffee shop and a used clothing store, a hand-painted sign swinging in the breeze. Crossroads Books. I stood across the street for a long time, watching. "He doesn't know you're coming," Adam said. "I know." "If you're not ready" "I'll never be ready." I crossed the street. Opened the door. The bell chimed. The store smelled like paper and dust and something else coffee, maybe, or the candles burning on the counter. Shelves lined every wall. Stacks of books covered the floor.

"Thank you, Rose, this is a very thoughtful gift." I smiled, bowing my head. "Dane mentioned it to be something you drank during times of great happiness." I met his eyes and my smile widened as I looked across at Kent and Zane. "Your son's make me incredibly happy." They all smiled at me. Paige smiled at me, seeing the bag still half full. I giggled and pulled out the rosé faerie I'd found. "I'm not sure if you've had this, but Lisa mentioned you drink faerie during your Book Club meetings."

I take a copy off the shelf and hand it to her. I glance at Vincent to make sure he’s okay. “We have a dog, so I’m sure Roman will love this one.” Her gaze browses over the other books. “This one looks good. Until he understands, he’ll be able to look at the pictures of the animals.” “That’s a good pick.” The customer chooses three more books before we head to the counter. “I’ve walked past this bookstore a hundred times and always wanted to come inside.” Our eyes lock, then she adds, “Oh, I’m Rosemarie Koslov.”