Good Short Stories
Grocery Shopping Part 1

Grocery Shopping Part 1 | 2

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of seven years was still too raw and this grocery store held so many sweet memories.

He often came with me and almost every time he would pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I would always spot him walking down the aisle with three yellow roses in his hands. He knew that I loved yellow roses.

With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave. However, grocery shopping was different since he had passed on. Shopping for one person took time and it requires a little more thought than shopping for two. I remembered how he had loved his steak as I searched for the perfect small steak for myself at the meat section.

A woman suddenly came beside me. She was blonde, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large pack of T-bones, dropped them in her basket, hesitated, and then put them back.

She turned to go but came back almost immediately for the pack of steaks. She saw me watching her and she smiled.
"My husband loves T-bones, but honestly at these prices, I don't know."
I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.
"My husband passed away eight days ago." I told her.
Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice. "Buy him the steaks and cherish every moment you have together."

She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed the package in her cart and wheeled away.

I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products section. I stood there trying to decide which milk carton size to buy.

I finally settled on quart size and moved on to the ice cream section. I decided that I could get myself an ice cream even if I wasn’t hungry. I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle towards the front.

I noticed a green pantsuit before recognizing the pretty lady coming towards me. She carried a package in her arms. She was wearing the brightest smile I had ever seen. I swear that it was as if she had a soft halo encircling her blonde hair as she walked towards me. As she came closer, I saw what she held in her arms and tears began misting in my eyes.

Grocery Shopping Part 1 | 2