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way, it did, but if I didn’t want to talk about it, she wasn’t going to push. We continued being friends in our business class and met a few times to study over a coffee. And as they say, the rest was history.
    We’ve been running Eclectic Isle for close to six years now, and it’s practically a landmark in the area. Business is great, and she says I have an eye for all things unique.
    A nurse bustles into the room with a wheelchair and tells me that when I’m ready, I can sign forms at the desk and pick up prescriptions. I want to avoid the wheelchair and walk out on my own. But after dressing in the thin cotton pants and button-up shirt Portia brought me, I’ve about maxed out my energy for the day.
    The nurse helps me get settled in the wheelchair before pushing me to the release desk. As I sign the release forms, Portia assures me that all the financial stuff has been taken care of, courtesy of Cooper’s credit card. Insisting that I could have paid the bill myself, I argue with her as we leave the desk and head to the elevator. In truth, I don’t know if I would have had the money.
    “Do I not have money? Is that why Cooper has already paid?” I ask.
    Portia shakes her head and replies, “You’ve got money, babe. But I have no idea where your purse is. I have to call the police station and ask if they have found it in your car. I cancelled the company Visa, since that’s what you usually shop with. Your debit card is with the same bank, so I told them to cancel that too. We’ll pick up a new one this week.”
    “Do we not have health insurance?”
    “No, Jer. I’m covered with Cooper. You’ve rarely ever had a cold and probably wouldn’t go to the hospital unless you were dying. If you did, you’d pay cash.”
    Figuring that’s enough—and deciding that when I go to the bank, I’ll look into my financial situation—we head out of the hospital. Cooper is waiting in the drop-off point with an SUV.
    “Ready to get the hell out of here?” he asks.
    I smile, thankful. “You have no idea.”
     
    * * *
     
    I take in the sights and smells.
    The street is busy but quaint.
    The building is clean and not too tall or overwhelming.
    Cooper guides the vehicle into a parking spot in front of a cozy, modern-looking shop with large display windows. The sign above it reads, Iclectic Isle in a weathered font, and I press closer to the window to take in as much as I can without actually moving from the vehicle.
    “This is it babe. We’ll tour later after we get you settled in,” Portia says.
    It’s beautiful. It looks light and airy but warm and cozy at the same time, like some place you would wander into to find treasures and lose yourself for an hour or two.
    “It’s lovely.”
    She spins in her seat. “It’s your pride and joy, Jer. You spend more time in that shop than you do sleeping.”
    I give her a small smile, happy that I have so much passion for something. At the same time, I feel sad because I wonder what else I’d do with my life if the majority of it is spent behind those windows. It sounds like a hobby and a passion, but it also sounds empty and alone.
    Much like I feel at the moment.
    Empty.
    Blank canvas.
    Cooper continues and points across the street. “We live there, Jerri. On the top floor.”
    I look at the historic building. The third floor is the top floor, and from what I’ve learned from Portia, they live on the entire floor; Cooper owns the building. Apparently, software development is a lucrative career.
    Turning down an alley, we come to a stop at the rear of the building. There’s a large garage door, which they tell me is for deliveries, and a small overhang over a set of steps that leads to a door. Cooper pulls up so my door is closest and parks the vehicle.
    “Home sweet home, Jer.” Portia tells me.
    By the time I unbuckle my seat belt, Cooper is at my door to help me out. It’s slow moving, but eventually we manage to get my feet on the ground. Once that is