“Things have been bad for a while now.” Logan said, voice tight. “Winter’s just started too. I’ve had days in prior years where I didn’t even have one customer. It’s not you, it’s… it’s just business.”

  Ever stood just inside the door; he still hadn’t said anything. He walked slowly towards the line of customer tables. One of them still had a chair on top, almost as if Logan had left it up specifically for him to take down.

  He walked further along until he reached the table at the end, closest to the corner of the shop. Extending his fingers, he nudged it gently. It tilted just a bit too much. He pulled it back straight. Him and Taylor had agreed that this one would go in the corner so that people were less likely to sit there, just in case they rocked it too much and their cups of ice cream would fall off. Whether it was true that fewer people sat there, they never really paid attention, but they kept putting it in that same spot.

  The door opened; Ever turned around. A man wearing a business suit stepped inside. He closed the door behind him, straightening his arms before fiddling with his cuff links. He made brief eye contact with Ever before striding towards the ice cream display.

  “Ever,” Logan said, just loudly enough to get his attention. Ever looked at his boss, who gestured with his head to come join him. Ever smiled faintly, then crossed behind the man looking at the ice creams, into the serving area for the last time.

  —-

  It was lucky that Logan had stepped aside, letting Ever serve that customer; he ended up being the only one that came in for the entire day. His eyes had lit up when Ever handed him the cone of mango sorbet - ‘summer’s a long way away, isn’t it?’ he had said, making small talk. He left as quickly as he had come, the door closing too silently behind him.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  There was just enough light in the late afternoon filtering through the window for Ever to see that Logan wasn't in his usual spot, leaning against the brick wall, smoking while talking on the phone. Maybe he wanted to give Ever as much time with the ice cream shop on his last day. Or maybe he just felt bad and didn’t want to be in there with him. Ever didn’t mind too much either way. He did eventually come back in the last fifteen minutes of the day.

  “I’ll pay you for today cash in hand if that’s OK.” Cash in hand. He hadn’t heard those words in a long time.

  “Yeah that’s fine.”

  Logan concentrated harder than he needed to on counting out the notes. “There you go,” He said, handing him the cash.

  “Are you going to stay open?” Ever asked him.

  “Yes,” Logan said, then paused for a moment. “Probably. Come by if you’re in the area. Ice cream’s on the house. Just don’t come every day.” He cracked a wry smile.

  Ever went to the back room to grab his stuff, coming back out to Logan with his hand out.

  “Thanks again for serving the customers and…”

  Ever nodded and shook Logan’s hand; he knew what he meant. He went past him and opened the door.

  “Ever wait.”

  Logan stepped out of the serving area and bent to pick something up by the window.

  Don't forget this,” he said, handing him the pot plant. “Here, I’ll get the door for you.”

  Ever stepped outside into the cold and Logan closed the door. For the last time, he walked away from the one place that had been the constant in his life since he arrived on Earth.