Free The Ladybug Jinx by Tonya Kappes

but not in front of Sam or anyone else for that matter. She hated being mean to Sam. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
    “Ms. Briggs we need to talk about this loan.” Celia shut the door behind her and looked at the man who didn’t care about this shop or her or Grandberry Falls.
    “Yes.” Celia stood calmly.
    “Do you understand you took out a one year arm? Now the arm is up and your rate is not fixed. You have been paying the bank the arm rate and your payment is going to go in default if you don’t pay more.” His voice was slow and steady like he had said this several times before.
    “Yes, I’m planning on taking care of it this week.” Celia noticed a few cars pulling up to the shop and didn’t want customers to over hear them. “Thank you for stopping by. I hate that you came all this way for nothing.”
    She clapped her hands in front of her greeting a few customers while walking out the banker. Her heart settled a little bit knowing these flower sales will help pay the huge debt she owes. She had no idea how she was going to make up the large sum of money. She would come up with something even if she had to beg, plead and steal.
    “Hi folks. How can I help you today?” Celia watched the banker’s car leave out of the corner of her eye.
    *
    Sam sighed when he saw the funeral home. He can still remember the smell of all the flowers and death combined from his mother’s funeral. He made Bianca promise him she wouldn’t have a funeral for him. She made him promise he would celebrate her life and move on with his. It was a promise he couldn’t keep.
    Her funeral was at their house. The house she brought to life from the remodel up. She loved the view, but hated the original house. They tore it down and built it from scratch. She watched the sun set every night from their bedroom up until the last breath.
    Sam watched people come in and out of the funeral home. He was supposed to deliver the flowers and get out. You can do this , he thought. “You can do this,” he said aloud coaxing himself on.
    He pulled up to the door, and got a couple different sprays out of the truck.
    “The Ladybug delivery,” Sam announced before he stopped dead in his tracks coming face to face with the corpse.
    “Never seen a dead person?” The funeral director patted Sam on the back. “You can just put them down and bring in the rest. We’ll arrange them for you.”
    Sam swallowed.
    “I’m sorry, I …” He stopped, turning to go get the rest.
    The old man taking pleasure in how uncomfortable Sam was. He couldn’t start the old Chevy fast enough.
    You are such a wimp, Sam repeated over and over in his head. He didn’t want Celia to see him like this. He pulled over on the side of the country road on the way back to the shop.
    He flung himself out of the truck and slammed the door. He continued to kick the gravel up with his boots.
    “Why Bianca? Why?” Sam screamed into the air falling to his knees. He hid his face in his hands and sobbed.
    He crouched by his truck, he turned his head to the sound of a car pulling up behind him.
    “You okay, son?” Marty got out of his truck and walked over to help Sam up.
    “I’m fine.” Sam was ashamed he wasn’t able to keep it together. He brushed the gravel dust off his jeans. “I’m fine.”
    “You don’t look fine to me.” Marty pointed out to Sam who was well aware of how it looked.
    “I have to get back to the shop.” Sam walked to his truck. “I need to get the second load of flowers to the funeral home.”
    The thought of going back there made him sick to his stomach.
    “Why don’t I help you and we go grab a cup of coffee from The Trembling Cup after we deliver the rest?” Marty opened Sam’s door.
    Sam could tell Marty was hovering over him like a parent. He never knew his father, but he suddenly wished Marty was his dad. “Sounds good. Thanks, Marty.”
    Marty pulled out behind him and followed him to the shop. They loaded the flowers,