Three weeks into dating lissa and the shop has a problem.
It's too small.
Wednesday nights have beco legendary. Twenty, sotis twenty-five people cramd into 800 square feet. The tournant last week had to turn people away because there wasn't physical space for more participants. The storage room overflows with inventory I can't display because there's nowhere to put it.
"This is a good problem," Leonard says, helping restock shelves that are packed too tight. "But it's still a problem."
"I know." I'm eyeing the wall between my shop and the empty unit next door. The landlord ntioned it's been vacant for months. Plumbing business went under. "What do you know about knocking down walls?"
"Structurally? Not my area. Why?"
"The unit next door is empty. If I could combine them..."
"You'd double your space." He straightens, interested. "Are you seriously considering expansion?"
"Maybe?"
The tingle hits imdiately. Strong, affirming. Images flash: the expanded space, filled with people. More shelves. Gaming area. Proper event space. The shop becoming sothing bigger than just retail.
This is the right move.
"I think I'm seriously considering it."
Sheldon arrives for Wednesday pickup, imdiately sensing the discussion. "You're planning expansion. I recomnd a comprehensive structural analysis before any load-bearing wall removal. The building's age suggests potential complications."
"How did you—we literally just started talking about this."
"The pattern of your gaze, Leonard's posture suggesting problem-solving engagent, the logical next step given current space constraints. Elentary deduction."
By the ti Howard and Raj arrive, the whole gang is involved in expansion planning. Howard's sketching rough layouts on receipt paper. Raj is calculating costs. Sheldon's found the building plans online sohow—I don't ask how—and is identifying which walls are load-bearing.
"The question is money," Leonard says. "Expansion isn't cheap. Lease, construction, additional inventory. You looking at what, thirty thousand minimum?"
Everyone turns to , waiting.
This is the mont. The mont where I either admit I have money or deflect.
"I can afford it," I hear myself say.
"How?" Howard asks bluntly. "No offense, but comic shops aren't exactly gold mines. You've been open what, four months?"
"Five months. And I've had so good investnts."
"The imaginary money?" Raj looks concerned. "Stuart, that Bitcoin is still worth almost nothing. And you can't have made enough from Apple stock yet to fund a thirty-thousand-dollar expansion."
Except I have. Bitcoin's at eight cents per coin now. My 30,000 coins are worth $2,400—sixty percent return in three months. Apple's up 42% since I bought. My $5,000 investnt is now worth $7,100. Combined with shop profits...
"I've been saving," I say, which is true. "And the shop's doing well. Better than expected. Plus the landlord might give a deal on the lease if I commit to two years."
Sheldon's watching with that analytical intensity. "Your revenue projections support expansion investnt?"
"They do."
"Show the spreadsheet."
"Sheldon—"
"If you're making a major financial decision, proper analysis is essential. I want to verify your calculations."
Of course he does. Because Sheldon cares, even if he expresses it through demanding financial docuntation.
"Fine. But later. Right now I need to talk to the landlord."
Mr. Chen, the landlord, is surprisingly easy to negotiate with. Probably because he's been eating vacancy costs on the empty unit for six months.
"You want both spaces? I give you good deal. Eighteen hundred for both, two-year lease."
"That's up from twelve hundred."
"That's two spaces. You get double room, I get reliable tenant. Win-win."
He's not wrong. And with my investnt gains plus shop revenue, I can swing eighteen hundred monthly. Especially with the projected inco increase from expanded inventory and event space.
"What about construction? Knocking out the wall?"
"You do it yourself, I give you one month free rent for trouble. You hire contractor, that's on you."
"I'll do it myself."
His eyebrows raise. "You know construction?"
"I have friends who know construction." Well, I have friends who are scientists. Close enough.
We shake on it. I sign paperwork that feels weighty and permanent. The wall cos down starting next week.
When I tell the gang that evening, their reactions are mixed.
"You're doing your own construction?" Leonard looks skeptical. "Have you ever knocked down a wall?"
"How hard can it be?"
"Very hard," Sheldon answers. "However, I've researched demolition procedures. With proper planning and safety protocols, it's achievable."
"We'll help," Howard volunteers. "I an, how often do you get to legally demolish things?"
"I appreciate—wait, did you just volunteer the whole group?"
"That's what friends do," Raj says. "We help with crazy expansion plans that involve knocking down walls."
The warmth spreads through my chest again. These people—these weird, brilliant, loyal people—are showing up for . Again.
"Thanks, guys. Really."
"Don't thank us yet," Leonard warns. "Wait until you see Howard's demolition technique."
"I'm very good with tools!"
"You hit your thumb with a hamr during my furniture assembly."
"That was different. The hamr was defective."
"Hamrs don't have defects. They're literally just weighted tal on a stick."
Their bickering fades into background noise as I look around my shop—soon to be double-sized shop. Four months ago I was terrified this place would fail. That I'd lose everything on a bad decision.
Now I'm expanding. Deliberately. Confidently.
Because the powers told it's the right move, yes. But also because I've built sothing real here. The tournants, the Wednesday nights, the regular custors who have beco friends.
I'm not expanding out of greed or desperation. I'm expanding because the space I've created has outgrown its physical boundaries.
That feels significant. Like I'm not just playing with supernatural advantages anymore. I'm actually building sothing that matters.
lissa texts: Heard about the expansion! That's amazing! Want to celebrate with dinner?
Absolutely. Saturday?
It's a date.
I look at my phone, at my shop, at my friends arguing about hamr defects. Five months ago I died choking on steak. Now I'm expanding my business, dating soone wonderful, surrounded by people who care.
The powers gave opportunity. But I'm the one building the life.
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