Member-only story
Short Story
Sweet Supermarket
A lesson to listen
It smelled of rotisserie chicken and the beeping of the scanning devices echoed in the supermarket. The lines were long. Everyone had only one thing on their minds — leaving.
Wearing blue sweats, a black hoodie, and Adidas sneakers, a woman used both hands to put her food items on the conveyor belt, preparing to overpay for meals.
Her top bun bobbed up and down every time she bent to take something out of the cart and place it on the belt. A tiny girl stood upon the cart’s bottom shelf, reaching intently, a helpful child she was.
Then it caught her eye. She jumped off and ran to the shelf flooded with candy. The marketing ploy succeeded with the little girl in the gorgeous floral patterned dress.
How many more like her had been had?
Kit Kat. Her favorite.
She grabbed the chocolate and ran up to her mother with puppy dog eyes piercing the air.
“Mommy, can I — “
“Not today, hunny.”
“But, but I want to buy it for you.”
Her mother melted and felt instant guilt for telling her no — for not hearing her out. She put out her hand.
