The next day came. Like every other day for the past three weeks, Ever strolled up to the ice cream store. A few times, he would get there before Taylor and chat with Death or otherwise kill time somehow. He would hear Taylor before he would see her, purely because of the keys that would jangle around clipped to her side.

  Today, those keys jangled in his hands. With a spring in his step, he skipped the last few feet to the door, picked out the key and slid it into the keyhole. He had actually practised turning the key in the hole a few times with Taylor the day before, just to make sure he knew how to do it today. After the experience with the automatic doors at the corner shop, he couldn’t be too careful. The key turned and he exhaled in relief.

  First apprentice of Death and now opening and running the ice cream store by yourself. Don’t let it get to your head.

  “Don’t let what get to my head?” Ever asked out loud.

  Pride, cockiness, a big head. All human emotions that stem from an inflated ego.

  “What’s an ego?”

  Tell you what. If your ego gets too big, I’ll tell you. That’s the best way to learn what it is.

  “OK.”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  With the challenge of the front door complete, Ever fell into a comfortable rhythm as he settled into the routine of setting up for the day. He turned on all the lights and the radio, took the tables out and the chairs off the tables inside, took out the ice creams and sorbets from the freezer below the glass display, then put them in the right spots. Lastly, he turned the “CLOSED” sign on the door around to “OPEN”.

  It didn’t take long for the first customers to come through. At 10 in the morning, they would have gotten maybe four or five customers for the first hour. Three came through, easy enough for Ever to handle on his own. At 11, five came through.

  He glanced at the wireless phone in the corner of the store. Taylor had told him to call her if he needed her to come in. He was tempted to call her, but not for scooping help.

  12 pm hit. At first it was a trickle, maybe a customer every 10 minutes or so, but once it got to lunchtime, people started streaming out of the office buildings, grabbing lunch, getting some sunshine and for some getting an icy, cold dessert.

  Tell me young soul, what tool has been better to wield so far: the scoop or the scythe?

  Ever had worked with his mentor long enough to know which questions he expected an answer and which he didn’t. He wiped the sweat off his brow, keeping focus.

  Hours melted into one another and the next time Ever looked up at the clock it was already 4 in the afternoon. He had been so focused that he forgot to stay hydrated. Taylor would have taken sips from an oversized bottle throughout the day but without her around, he completely forgot.

  In the breakroom, he opened a new bottle of water and started thirstily gulping it down. He spied something familiar underneath a whole bunch of invoices. He slid it out from underneath all the documents, stared at it and smiled, an idea forming in his mind.