Hopeless? I think not. N.H

Chapter Two.

Slowly pulling up to a seven eleven.

I parked in the front, getting out of the driver's seat. "Come on muffin," I said picking her up, getting her out of the car, and then grabbing her hand placing her back down.

"Mommy?" she said looking up at me as a man held the door open for us. He was slim had blonde hair and was wearing a white shirt.

"Thank You," I said quickly rushing Mia in. 

"Sorry, yes Mia?" I said looking down at her. 

"I have  k-arter ." She said with a big grin on her face. 

"What do you mean?" I asked as she pulled out a quarter. 

"It was a sup-wise,"  she said running over and grabbing my favorite cheap snack, a 25 cent piece of jerky. 

"Here... I get you sup-wise, you get me blue bwead?" I chuckled shaking my head saying yes, She was saving me a quarter to get me my favorite snack.

Now tell me I'm not raising a good kid?

Sometimes I wonder.

Handing me the jerky, she marched over to the pastry box looking for her muffin in the box, but her face was disappointed, someone took the last blueberry muffin.

"It's okay... There are other flavors baby... Look! apple cinnamon." Mia shook her head at my suggestion.

"No mommy w-want-ed the blue cake!" she stuttered while tugging at the hem of my shirt.

"I know hun," I said bending down, facing her at eye level.

"What if I get you a muffin at Mcdonald's instead?" I asked frowning.

Mcdonald's cost more, Plus I was down to 23 dollars, and with gas prices rising...Oh boy.

She stares at me for some time and then nods, as I put back the jerky she jerks my arm back.

"Sup-wise." she insisted. I chuckled and shook my head. I had a good daughter...Sometimes she can be a little-" Never mind what she can be, when she chooses.

Waiting in line, behind the boy who opened the door for me and Mia, I hummed waiting for the line to speed up. 

Suddenly we were next in line, the man in front of us paid for his food and went about his way. "Next!' The cashier yelled out as Mia approached trying to put the jerky on the desk, but her arm was too small. I chuckled grabbing it from her and placing it on the counter along with the quarter.

The man clerk shook his head, clearing his throat. 

"It's actually thirty-five cents now," he said looking at me as if he was disgusted. 

that's cause he was.

he is.

Looking up, The first thing I noticed is he was new.

"I'm sorry, here," I said pulling out ten more cents, I didn't want Mia to know her surprise simply wasn't enough...

"Mhm," he said taking my coins and passing me the jerky. 

"Thank you," I called out taking a glance towards the name tag, located on the top right of his shirt tucked in. "...Rupert," I said acknowledging his name as I grabbed Mia's hand and led her outside, safely to the car.

As I'm grabbing my keys, to unlock our car a man approaches, he had a coffee in one hand and a muffin in the other, I furrowed my eyebrows a bit as he bent down in front of Mia. Yet without thinking I quickly snatched her up, now holding her in a protective mode.

"Woah! hey.. sorry." The man said taking a step back from us. Then he began to speak again. "You gotta believe me, if I knew she wanted the last blueberry muffin, I wouldn't have bought it..But here you go." He said slowly extending his hand, almost as if he was approaching a frightened animal.

Without warning Mia quickly proceeded to grab ahold of the muffin, snatching it from his hands. I should have known he was going to offer her the muffin, but for some reason, I assumed the worst. Snapping out of my own world, I shook my head.

"Mia," I said now looking down at her taking a huge bite of the muffin.

"What do we say, when someone is nice to you." Looking up with a large mouth full of food she opens her mouth letting some crumbs fall.

ew

"Fank You." She said and then started devouring the food like an animal.

oh no.

I'm raising an animal.

He laughed it off nodded and said sorry for scaring me.

he didn't scare me.

yes, he did.

"It's okay... Ya know? Stranger danger?" I said shaking my head at my own stupidity.

Can you blame me? I'm overprotective.

"Understandable, I gotta get going ...But do enjoy the muffin kid," he said waving us off with a small smile as he got into what appeared to be a cab.

Shaking my head, I opened the car door placing Mia inside of it safely adjusting her inside her car seat, feeling lowkey like an idiot.