Margaret smiled.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes."
"I think it's beautiful."
He smiled.
"Thank you."
"But."
His smile disappeared.
"But?"
"The leather quality is declining."
Adrian looked surprised.
"What?"
She continued.
"The boots you showed me."
"Yes?"
"The stitching was wrong."
Adrian shook his head.
"Those are one of our best sellers."
"I know."
"Then how can the stitching be wrong?"
"Because people can buy something expensive and still receive poor craftsmanship."
Adrian leaned forward.
"What did you see?"
Margaret explained.
"The thread is too tight."
"The heel reinforcement is inconsistent."
"The leather has been over-treated."
"And the sole was attached before the leather had properly rested."
Adrian stared.
"How can you know all that?"
Margaret smiled.
"Because I made boots before you were born."
He laughed.
"Right."
She looked toward the window.
"When I was seventeen, my father gave me a piece of leather."
She smiled.
"He told me to make something useful."
"What did you make?"
"A pair of work gloves."
"And?"
"They were terrible."
Adrian laughed.
"What happened?"
"My father laughed."
"Then?"
"He made me start again."
Margaret smiled.
"I made them again."
"And again."
"And again."
"How many times?"
"Twenty-seven."
Adrian shook his head.
"Twenty-seven?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because my father said something I'll never forget."
"What?"
"He said, 'If you're going to put your name on something, make sure it deserves to carry it.'"
Margaret looked at him.
"That sentence built my life."
Adrian nodded.
She continued.
"Years later, Daniel came to work for me."
"Mr. Hart?"
"Yes."
"He was nineteen."
"Did he know anything?"
"Nothing."
Adrian smiled.
"So you taught him?"
"I taught him everything."
"Why?"
"Because he wanted to learn."
Margaret looked down at her tea.
"He didn't have money."
"He didn't have connections."
"He didn't have a fancy education."
"But he respected the craft."
"That's what mattered."
Adrian looked embarrassed.
"I've been focused on sales."
"I know."
"How?"
"I can see it."
She smiled.
"You look at the price tag before you look at the product."
Adrian was silent.
She wasn't finished.
"You look at the customer before you look at their needs."
He nodded.
"You care about appearances."
He lowered his eyes.
"And you've forgotten why people buy handmade things."
"Why?"
Margaret answered softly.
"Because they want something made with care."
The words stayed with him.
Later that afternoon, Margaret returned to the store.
This time, Adrian opened the door for her.
"Welcome."
She smiled.
"Thank you."
The employees looked nervous.
Daniel had arrived.
He stood near the counter.
When he saw Margaret, he smiled.
"Margaret."
She walked toward him.
"It's been too long."
"Far too long."
They hugged.
Adrian watched them.
For the first time, he saw the relationship differently.