Switch

album with thin strips of metal that held the pages together

without punching holes. Several loose pages fluttered as

Miriam turned the pages, carefuly touching only the edges.

I moved closer to look at what she offered. I'd seen lots of

fine papers, many of them from right here in this shop, but

the pages in this book were beyond fine. They were

exquisite.

'Handmade papyrus,' Miriam said with a reverence some

people used for jewels. 'This is linen-textured parchment

cut from an antique book bound in the 1700s. And this

one was just so lovely I had to have it.'

She tapped a page of plain white, slightly glossy paper.

'Doesn't look like much, but it holds the ink in such a

way…'

She sighed and shook her head, stil turning pages and

catching a few more that floated free. 'I know I have

catching a few more that floated free. 'I know I have

something in here just for you. I keep this only for the most

special occasions.'

'You don't even know what I need it for.' It sounded like

a protest, when I didn't mean it to. My fingers itched to

caress those papers. To find exactly the right one.

'Gram?' Ari poked his head through the curtain. 'I

delivered that letter for you—oh, sorry. I didn't know you

weren't alone.'

Miriam waved a hand. 'It's al right. Paige, would you

excuse me for a minute? I need to go take care of

something.'

'Sure, of course.'

'You go right ahead.' Miriam put her hand on my shoulder

as she passed, as though for support.

Greedy, I was already puling the book toward me, but I

paused when she touched me. I looked up. She was a tiny

woman, and though she stood and I sat, we were stil

nearly eye to eye. She cocked her head to look at me.

'You'l find just the right thing. You always do. I told you,

Paige, you have a knack for knowing just what someone

needs.' With that, she squeezed my shoulder and left me

there.

She was right, I thought, my fingers already flipping the

album back to the beginning so I could start with the first

page and savor each one. I was good at knowing what

people needed, and how to give it to them or how to help

them take it. Too bad I didn't know how to do the same

for myself.

And then, there it was.

I found it in the middle of the album. A heavy, cream-

colored card of high-grade linen. Expensive stock. The

sort of paper I coveted and hoarded but never actualy

used. A slightly rough edge along one side. Custom cut, I