Beth & Sue are now cousins?
Something seemed to have altered in their relationship. They now were cousins, with five years difference, instead of their previous life of just being friends with less than one-year difference in age.
Beth became aware that she was taking her young cousin to the carnival as an early birthday treat, as her birthday was not till a month later; which would be after Beth would have left for a contract abroad, and so she wouldn’t see her favourite niece for over two years.
Sue was feeling much younger and acting like an excitable schoolgirl. She saw a pet shop and was really excited and wanted to go in. So in they went. An old guy, who reminded Beth of a Goblin, but she didn’t seem to find that at all unusual; was inside drinking some herb tea; he greeted them and offered them both drinks. Sue asked for a soda, and Beth accepted a cup of herb tea, the same as the old guy was drinking. Or so she thought.
Sue went round looking at, stroking and talking to the various animals in the shop. She laughed and pointed out to Beth the, hmm, antics of some of the animals.
The old guy said, I have some smaller pets in the back room you can play with. So he took her to look at the small animals including some reptiles at the back of the shop.