Concha never sold a loaf of bread, but she had been in charge of that bakery for eight years.
She slept in her corner beside the counter while Doña Lupe served customers, and the whole neighborhood knew it: many people came in more to give her a little pet than for the fresh bread. They even joked that they were going to see Concha, not to buy conchas. But a few days ago, she did not get up from her chair. Doña Lupe rushed her to the veterinarian, but her heart, already tired from age, could not go on.
What happened next was what no one expected: one neighbor placed a flower on the empty chair, another brought a photo, and within hours the seat was filled with floral arrangements. Doña Lupe decided to leave everything just as it was. Today the bakery is still open, the bread still comes out hot, but that chair remains reserved for a cat who, without knowing it, became the soul of the neighborhood.
