No Shame (Book 2 - No Regrets)

Chapter Fifty-Two - Begin Again

DOMINICK'S POV

  On our way back from visiting Nikki's grave, Mollie and I stop by the grocery store to stock up for the week ahead. I decided to let Mollie skip her nap today, a decision I will likely later regret. Today's been a bit of an off-day and Mollie isn't acting tired.

She lets out a small cheer as I speed down the vacant snack-aisle. She sits in the cart among a gallon of milk, a box of animal crackers, and a jar of apple sauce. "Okay, Mollie, what sounds good for this week's sandwiches?" I ask as we approach the refrigerated wall of deli-meat. "Honey-baked ham, oven roasted-chicken, or black-pepper turkey?"

"Turkey."

"Winner winner turkey-dinner." I say picking up a package of the sliced-turkey.

"No, I want chicken." Mollie says with a giggle.

The corners of my mouth curl into an amused smile. I reach for a package of ham.

"No ham." Mollie exclaims as she bounces a little in the cart. I chuckle and move my hand toward the ham.

"No chicken."

"You're such a stinker." I say putting the turkey package in the cart. I give her a gentle poke on the forehead. "Alright, let's see about some frozen dinners and then we're good to go." I proceed with pushing the cart toward the freezer section of the store.

"Go fast." Mollie says.

"Just a little. Zroom zroom." I say picking up speed slightly. We approach the first aisle of freezers. "Sharp turn. Scree-" I go for the sharp turn and find myself nearly colliding with another person moving out of the aisle. I narrowly miss running into them, the cart jolts to an abrupt stop.

The person, a young woman, let's out a startled gasp following the items in her hands falling to the ground. One item, a six-bottle case of beers, shatters upon impact with the tile flooring. I instinctively yank the cart back away from the mess of split beer and broken glass.

"I am so sorry, ma'am." I apolgize looking toward her. The woman appears to be in her late teens or early twenties. Her black hair is a choppy-uneven layered mess.

The woman lifts her gaze from the mess, her eyes shoot daggers at me. "Watch it." She growls.

"I am so sorry, honestly." I say. "I will pay for the beers and a replacement for you."

"Just give me the money and go." She says holding out her hand.

"Will a $20 be enough?" I ask as I plunge my hand into my pockets to retrieve my wallet. Instead of a wallet, I find my pockets to be completely empty aside from my car keys.

The woman let's out an irritated scoff as she drops her hand, "Wow, thanks." She rolls her eyes. "Just forget it, I wasn't going to drink that crap anyway." She starts to walk away, she glances over at Mollie, then she does a double-take. She turns around toward me. "Are you, by chance," she lets out a sigh, "related to a Katie Benji?"

"She's my sister." I answer, a vague sense of familiarity begins to encompass the woman. "Are you familiar with her?"

The woman let's out an amused scoff, "I guess you could say that. She did date my baby brother for a short stint."

Suddenly, it clicks. "You're Sawyer's sister." I say stating the obvious. "I think we met once, long ago."

"Wasn't that long ago. It was New Years, what two?" She glances over at Mollie and then back at me, "Three years ago, at most."

"I apologize for my behavior that evening, I wasn't my best self then."

"I think that can be said for any intoxicated person." She comments. She looks over at Mollie, her expression softens and her mouth morphs into a smile. "Hello Mollie, do you remember me by chance? I know your aunt Katie." Her voice is almost unrecognizable from the one she's used with me, it's warm and gentle. She leans down a little to be at level with Mollie.