Ten minutes later, Sarah stood in the doorway of the dedicated Vera Bradley store. It was a soft-lit sanctuary of patterns. The walls were lined with everything from to rolling luggage . The sales associate, a woman named Linda who wore a quilted lanyard, shook her head sympathetically.
She didn't wait for the elevator. She took the stairs two at a time. The hunt was almost over, and for once, the mall's hum sounded like a victory lap.
"Try the at the other end of the mall," the clerk suggested.