Chapter 38: Happily Ever After
Ava wasn’t sure what "happily ever after" was supposed to look like, but she was absolutely certain it wasn’t this: standing in the middle of her tea shop, watching Ryan attempt to restock the shelves like it was some sort of Olympic event.
"Are you really putting chamomile next to chai?" Ava asked, arms crossed as she leaned against the counter, her tone dripping with mock disbelief.
Ryan paused mid-reach, a tin of peppermint tea in one hand, looking genuinely puzzled. "Is that... bad? It’s all tea. It’s not like they’re going to fight."
Ava groaned, walking over to snatch the tin from him. "Chamomile is calming. Chai is energizing. They don’t belong together! Do you even drink tea?"
"Not really," Ryan admitted with a smirk. "I’m more of a coffee guy, remember? You used to yell at me for bringing lattes into your shop."
"And yet here you are," Ava muttered, setting the tin in its proper place. "Destroying my carefully cultivated system."
Ryan took a step back, holding up his hands. "Fine. I’ll leave the tea-stacking to the professional lunatic."
"Excuse me?" Ava shot him a glare.
"You alphabetize tea by mood," Ryan said, gesturing toward a shelf labeled "Crisis Comforts." "What’s the category for this one? Existential dread?"
"Close," Ava said, straight-faced. "It’s called ’Peppermint Panic.’ For moments like this."
Ryan shook his head, laughing under his breath. "I’m starting to think you have a deep, unhealthy relationship with tea."