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through the box of scraps that held unfulfilled orders. An archaic and fallible system. She would start by installing a simple computer program so the person taking the order could enter the details. Then someone should be assigned to checking orders and fulfilling them on a specific day every week. Regular customers would be on file, as well, and their information automatically brought up via a database. The same database could be used for mailings.
    “Aren’t your eyes crossing from being on that computer so many hours yesterday?”
    Kristen started. Both customers had left the store, and Heather was standing over her. “They are a bit tired.” Having managed little more than six hours sleep, she was tired. No late night, working or otherwise, for her today.
    “So take a break. We’ve hardly had a chance to talk since you got here.”
    “It’s not like we haven’t talked in ages,” Kristen said, thinking of their weekly Sunday-night phone calls.
    “But now I can see you.”
    “Okay, okay.” Kristen smothered a yawn. “I need coffee anyway.”
    Heather poured two cups. “You seem to be taking to working here.”
    Kristen didn’t want to get her sister’s hopes up. “It’s only temporary, you know. Until I get on my feet.” She took her mug from Heather. “Then I’m going to start job hunting again.”
    That was the agreement she’d made with Aunt Margaret. She would work here while sending out her résumé and driving into Chicago for interviews. If she could get them.
    “You’re going to look for a job in Chicago?” Heather asked, her voice filled with disappointment.
    “That is my home.”
    “Not anymore.”
    “You mean, not at the moment.” Kristen sipped her coffee, willing it to give her extra energy to get through the day.
    She was hoping to be back in a new job and a new Chicago apartment before winter. Surely that would give her enough time to help grow Sew Fine into a more viable business.
    “What have you got against living here?” Heather demanded. “I miss you. Aunt Margaret misses you. And now that Brian is back, he would miss you if you left again.”
    “Wait a minute. Isn’t Brian supposed to be working this morning?” Kristen had thought he could sweep up the broken glass.
    “Brian doesn’t always keep to schedule.”
    “And you’re okay with that?” Heather was the manager, after all, Kristen thought.
    “He is very helpful, Kristen. He’ll do anything I ask of him.”
    “When he’s here.”
    “So I give him a break. He’s had a hard couple of years since Mom remarried and moved to California.”
    “Losing his friends in the middle of his freshman year of high school must have been difficult,” Kristen admitted.
    “Not to mention he lost his job. Mom used to call him the man of the house. You remember that, don’t you? Even as a little kid, he took on a lot of responsibility, so he wouldn’t let her down. Well, maybe you don’t really know, because you went away to college so soon after Dad left. Mom was so proud of Brian. Mom thought it was great that he didn’t have to keep that responsibility anymore when she married Mike, but I’m not so sure.”
    Kristen understood completely. “Brian lost his identity.” He must have felt as if he had failed their mother. Just as Kristen had failed at the career she’d so wanted.
    Now Kristen felt even worse about Brian than she had before. Their kid brother could probably barely remember having a father in his life, and then when their mother had remarried, he hadn’t taken to his stepfather. According to Mom, Mike and Brian had been continually at odds. No doubt Brian resented having a man tell him what to do if he’d considered himself the man of the house all his young life. Her mother had mentioned increasing problems with Brian and decided the only way to make the kid happy was to let him go to college in Wisconsin.
    According to Aunt Margaret, Brian could do no wrong. The change in address had seemingly