Return to Me

Chapter One

"Thank you for coming and have a nice day."
    Emily forced another tiresome smile as the elderly couple took the bag of newly purchased items and left the store hand in hand. She sighed. It was always refreshing coming across customers like them. Often than not, she got the ones who liked to argue over a two-dollar price difference. The same two dollars they would later spend on a Starbucks. There were many days when she went home with a migraine at the end of shift, and it would leave Emily wondering why she even stayed. Not that long ago, she was motivated with the idea of going out in the world to prove she could take care of herself, without always needing her father. Every time she had a bad day at work, she could hear him: "You should come home, work at the firm, and all of your problems will be solved". But no, she just had to prove him wrong.
  What a great idea that had been.
   Since leaving home, everything that could possibly go wrong seemed to be doing it all at once. She hated her job. Her internship with the local paper was going down the drain. She was behind on rent. Her car was one road trip away from breaking down for good. If one more thing decided to go wrong in her life, Emily was certain that a nervous breakdown was in order. It was in times like this when words her pastor has spoken came to mind: faith is being able to see past your current circumstance where you come out victorious on the other side.
   Easier said than done.
   Emily forced another tiresome smile as she turned back to the ever-growing line. "I can help whoever is next." She smiled as a young girl wearing a tiara and a pink tutu skipped to the counter. "Well, hello there."
   "I'm a princess!" the girl said.
   "You are?" Emily didn't know what it was but something about the little girl's joy was contagious. She couldn't help but smile. "Then you are a beautiful princess."
   The little girl gasped with excitement and turned to her mother as she walked to the counter pushing a cart in front of her. "Did you hear that, Mommy? She said I was a butiful princess!"
   "Did she?" her mother gave Emily a small smile. "What do you say to someone who gives you a compliment?"
    "Thank you." The little girl proceeded to hide behind her mother, smiling shyly.
    Her mother laughed. "I'm sorry. She just had some ice cream before we came in."
    "That's alright," Emily said as she laughed along. "In fact, I was going to ask if I can borrow some of that energy."
   "Right?" 
   Emily scanned the last item and hit total on the register. "Alright, whenever you are ready your total is at $84.95." She almost rolled her eyes when the lady sighed as she got her card out. It was the same response every time. "I know. It adds up fast."
   "That it does, my dear, that it does." When the machine beeped, the lady removed her card. "Well thank you, my dear."
    It was at that time that the little girl decided to jump out of hiding, giving Emily a small scare. "We are going to see a movie!"
    Emily forced a smile even as she tried to calm down. "You are? What movie?"
    "Incredibles!"
    That was all it took for Emily's smile to widen just a bit more. Incredibles had to be every child's favorite movie and it only just came out.
   "Sounds like fun," said Emily," can I go with?"
   The girl gasped in excitement as she turned to her mother. "Can she, Mommy? Can she?"
   Her mother gave Emily a knowing smile before turning back to the little girl. "I don't know. I don't think her boss would like it if she left this early. Maybe another time."
    "Oh. Okay." The little girl proceeded to look down with a pout, shifting her weight from leg to leg.
   Emily shared a look with the woman before an idea came to mind. She smiled. "Tell you what...the next time you go to a movie, come find me and I will gladly go with."
   "Really? Okay." She grabbed a few of the bags off the counter. "Come on, Mommy, let's go or we'll be late!" she is out the door before anyone can stop her.
   The woman laughed. "Well, I'd better go stop her before she decides to run into the street." She grabbed the rest of the bags. "Thanks again for all of your help."
    "Have a nice day."
   As Emily helped the next customer, she couldn't help it as her mind wandered back to the little girl. How carefree she was; how she was able to wear a tiara and a tutu without a care in the world. Emily could vaguely remember another little girl just as carefree, only this girl wore a cowgirl hat and pink boots covered in rhinestones. And once again it was in times like this when she found herself wondering if she could ever be that care free again. It had been forever since she went home without worrying if she could pay rent when it was due. Lately, it was almost like she was fighting against the stream's current, struggling to stay afloat.
   And it scared her.