love unexpected

Chapter 2: Edward

Damn I was definitely going to bring my car around, if me and Nat end up choosing Pittsburgh. The trek up to fifth avenue and the multiple stops made the journey on the bus way too long for one mile and a half! I headed towards the produce section the moment I got in, I needed a fruit or something. They were the first thing I saw. They simultaneously picked up large bags of oranges and potatoes which coincidentally burst open one after the other. They did the "pause and dumbfounded gaze" moment before hurrying into action. The woman went after the spillage on her side of the isle and the man pointed at two kids, a boy and a girl, by a shopping cart and told them to stay put with emphatic hand gestures before hurrying after his errand potatoes and oranges. I was about to step in and help the pick-up when I understood the reason for the exaggerated hand gestures. The boy's lips stretched in an impish smile and dashed toward me, quickly followed by his toddler sister on his way to God knows where! I stepped in his way and stopped the boy with a hand on his torso when he tried to dodge away from me.

-And where are we going in such a rush mister? I asked

-huh!

-I could swear I saw your father tell you to stay put! I said.

-I'm just going to get some candy?

-look behind you! I turned the boy around and we both watched his sister stumble around on weak legs trying to catch up. That is why your parents want you to stay put because they knew she would follow. What do you think would have happened to her if you'd ran any further?

-she could fall and hurt herself, or get lost? He asked unsure

- that's right, you're a very smart boy! I smiled, ruffling the boy's hair, I hurried to the toddler's side on her third trip over her own feet and picked her up holding out my hand for the boy. I walked them both to the abandoned cart. The mother noticed and hurriedly dropped her bag of fruit-legume haphazardly, and rushed to my side, apologizing profusely while reaching for her daughter. i captured her hands in one of mine before she made contact and gave her the clearly you're in the wrong look. I let go of her hands and did a little internal jig when she didn't reach for her kids again and kept staring at him, I tapped her on the wrist and she dropped her hands.

- Are you done picking up your potatoes and oranges?

- huh! She said, staggered and uncertain.

- why don't you go finish with the pick-up and me and your children will stay very visible and still by this cart while you and...

-Alexander?

- Yes, you and Alexander finish picking up your stuff.

-we wouldn't want to impose Erik, she said, pointing at her son, can be a bit of a handful.

- it's okay since I'm volunteering myself for this. Go on, we'll be fine. Me and Erik over here are going to do our best human statue impression! I said bending down to look at the  brown haired blue eyed kid, isn't that right Erik?

-That's right, look mom I'm not moving! he singsong excitedly, bending his hand forward like a robot

- see that? he's a human robot! go ahead we'll wait here. wait, I didn't get your name?

-oh! I'... Sophia and that's Luna she answered pointing at her daughter

-Nice to meet you, you go ahead and we'll wait.

she hesitantly turned around and went back to her task, her husband gave her a questioning look and, when she just shrugged on her way to her abandoned bag. He turned his questioning stare to me and I pointed at the potatoes sill littering the floor. i was relieved when they started picking up after themselves, even if they kept glancing in my and their kids' direction after they took a quick hushed sidebar. I let out a dispirited sigh, and pushed down the impossible fantasies that popped up in my head like depraved weeds one after. it was clear they were married and despite the subtle hints of something in both of them i couldn't quite put my finger on that sparked my interest. Interest I made sure to shove down as it was never goin to amount to anything concrete. I knew it was a horrible idea to entertain finding out what it was that made me zero in on the both of them like a moth to a flame. Especially since there was a ton of other people in the store at present.