Kara turned my bag upside down and asked why I carried so much paper.
"It keeps becoming relevant."
"So does the weight."
She set the emptied bag on her bench. The repaired strap had held, but a short section near the buckle had begun rubbing against a rough metal edge. I had noticed the pale scuff while coming back from the exchange. This time, I brought it in before the strap failed with something important inside.
Kara ran a thumbnail over the buckle.
"That edge needs smoothing. The stitching here needs replacing. The rest is sound."
"Can you add another layer over it?"
"Over damaged stitching? I can make it look thicker. That isn't the same repair."
She named the price and the time. I agreed before asking how she would do it. It seemed fairer than making her teach me the whole task before deciding whether her work deserved paying for. Liora arrived while Kara was removing the old stitches.
