Beauty tip: Laughter is good for the body and
the soul and also brings color to the cheeks.
She's sitting behind the prescription counter, going through a stack of papers.
"Grandma, just take a break for one second. I want to tell you something."
Finally she puts the stack of papers down, leans her elbows on it, and looks up at me. "Yes, my dear?"
I pull over a stool and sit next to her. "So you know I've been trying really hard to think of ways to improve the pharmacy and stuff?"
She nods.
"This morning I was reading through magazines, and one article gave me a really, really, really good idea." I pause and smile at Grandma. "Ready?"
She nods again. Now she's smiling.
"The section where we used to have the hunting supplies should be turned into a Relaxation Room! It's already kind of blocked off, since you never liked hunting anyway. And it's really not an expensive thing to do. And Mom said I could take the couches in the basement. And-"
"Lucy." Grandma puts her hand on my shoulder. "Slow down. What exactly is a Relaxation Room?"
I try to slow down and explain it to her, emphasizing the fact that it won't really cost anything. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mom walking over to us. She's carrying a brochure from her favorite magazine distributor.
"Luce, we need to subscribe to these Body & Wellness journals. They really focus on inner peace, relaxation, and stress-free living." She looks up from the brochure. "I've been wanting to stock these forever, but now we have a real reason!"
Grandma gives me a look. "I thought it wasn't going to cost us anything?"
"Well, I hadn't thought of subscribing to those magazines, but it's a really good idea because customers will feel even more relaxed reading that stuff."
Grandma's smiling again, and it's good to know that she can't resist my genius idea. It's good to know that Mom supports it too.
"No candles, though," Grandma says. "We can't risk burning the store down for a few people's feelings of calm."
"Fine, fine," I say. "Makes sense."
"But we can have some calm, serene music playing," Grandma says. "That'll work."
After Grandma okays the Relaxation Room, I head over to that space right away, just so that I can get a sense of how it should be organized.
"Um, Lucy?" I hear, and turn around.
Unfortunately, Erica Crane's standing there, sifting through her Louis Vuitton bag. She swears it's real, but I think it's a fake.
"Isn't it, like, illegal that your parents make you work here?" she asks. "'Cuz my uncle's a lawyer, and he could totally report your family."
I roll my eyes at her. "It's not illegal, Erica. Thanks for your concern."
"Hmm. I know what I'm talking about and-" Thankfully, her mother calls her from the front door of the pharmacy, saying she's leaving. Erica doesn't say good-bye, and I'm glad. I don't want to hear another word.
I spend the rest of the day cleaning out the hunting section, getting rid of paper and other stuff that has been cluttering up the space. It feels so good to actually be doing something, not just hoping and praying that something will happen.
It's the same feeling I got after I helped Courtney Adner for homecoming. And especially after she came back to tell me that I was her hero.
Maybe these things are pretty small, and they're not making the pharmacy billions of dollars or anything. But they are helping people. And that's what Grandma says is most important anyway.
When Grandma came to Old Mill Middle School last year for Professional Day, she gave the best speech. She told us why she became a pharmacist and why Grandpa became one too. She said it's the best job, because it's a way to be part of the community and to help people at the same time. I sat in the front row; Sunny sat next to me. And I was beaming, really and truly beaming. I was so proud of Grandma that day, but I guess I'm always proud of her. I'm proud of the way she helps people and loves it. And I'm really proud that even with business being bad, she's happy every single day to go to work.
I hope I'm like that when I'm older and have a real job.