Ehlers,” Amy said. She slit the tape on a newly arrived box of pickling spices that she’d set onto one of the shop stools. “I’d never guess in a million years that he’d ever been picked on. But then, I’ve only known him as the employer of some of my friends—in other words, as the in-charge person.” “Everyone went through a growing-up period,” Piper said. She stood at the shelf where the new spices would be set and shifted some of the jars. “Some had it rougher than others. Those tough times affect who they came to be, for better or worse.” “I know what you mean,” Amy agreed, pulling out a jar of peppercorns and checking the label. “Like, this girl I knew whose little brother was in a really bad accident? She had to drop out of drama club and all her after-school stuff to help her mom take care of him. I know it was really hard for her at the time. But she came through it with an interest in health care she never had before, and now she’s in college majoring in premed!”
