Episode 31

The afternoon sun, a warm honey spill through the large windows of Mary Sweetie’s New York boutique, illuminated dust motes dancing in the air. Mary, perched on a stool, was meticulously sketching, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders. Snowy, the epitome of feline grace, was draped across the back of a velvet armchair, a silent sentinel. Starry, a whirlwind of white fluff, was currently engaged in a spirited chase with a stray thread near the sewing machines, her kittenish energy a constant hum in the background. Mickey, the boisterous brown puppy, was undoubtedly snoozing somewhere, his dreams filled with chasing squirrels and belly rubs.

Suddenly, a familiar melody drifted from the shop’s discreet sound system. It was a song Mary hadn't heard in a while, a track that had once been the soundtrack to countless hours spent sketching, dreaming, and believing. A slow smile spread across her face. It was Justin Bieber. A wave of nostalgia washed over her. She remembered being sixteen, posters of him adorning her bedroom walls, her heart aflutter with every new release. Now, at eighteen, with her own thriving fashion boutique, the memory felt both distant and incredibly dear.

She paused her sketching, setting her pencil down. The music wasn't just background noise anymore; it was a gentle nudge, a reminder of where she’d come from and the dreams that had fueled her journey. She found herself humming along, a soft, contented sound. Snowy twitched an ear, as if acknowledging the shift in the shop's atmosphere. Starry, momentarily forgetting the thread, paused her play, her curious brown eyes blinking in the direction of the music. Even Mickey let out a soft sigh from his slumber.