Ivy jumps to her feet and runs to Arty’s room when she hears her scream, raising a frying pan in defense. She bursts into her room, an explosion of questions. “What happened? Are you okay? Why did you scream? I heard a scream.”

Counting out her change, Winter takes a deep breath to steady her still speeding heart. The heat on her face lingers, matching with her hair. “I don’t know, I think it’s some social norm. So wearing shoes is a sign of respect to the public and to the business, like wearing clothes. It may also be perceived as a telltale sign that they don’t have money and won’t be able to pay for services if they can’t afford shoes.” She slowly turns to him with a sheepish smile. “Sounds good to me. When do you want your first lesson?”