Silent Stranger

8 - A Shopping Trip

I drove to a Target department store figuring we could get most of what we needed there. Sophie wore one of my hoodies using the excuse she didn't want her long hair to get wet in the rain. I suspected the real reason was to keep her face hidden.

When we entered the store, she took a moment to get her bearings. Then she made a bee line for the shoe department. I laughed and teased her. "Women and their obsession with shoes."

She grinned and studied a pair of pink sneakers. After finding a pair that fit her properly, she looked at me and cocked her head. I guessed it was her way of asking permission.

"Yes, sure, I'll buy them for you, and you'll need to choose some other footwear for outside around the cabin. It gets muddy, especially after a rain." She chose a pair of inexpensive, slip-on ankle boots.

She picked up two pair of jeans and an assortment of tops. She ducked into the fitting room. When she emerged, she tossed the long johns she had been wearing and the slippers she had borrowed into a shopping cart.

I got the attention of a salesclerk to let her know we weren't stealing the clothes and sneakers. She cut off the tags and laid them aside for scanning when we were ready to check out.

Sophie picked out several pairs of socks and various underthings.

After that, we visited the pharmacy department for the aforementioned toothbrush and hygiene products.

I allowed her free reign and let her pick out what she wanted, finding myself entertained at her bubbly enthusiasm. I sensed I was witnessing the real Sophie, the girl having temporarily forgotten her troubles.

It amused me to push the shopping cart behind while she led the way, because she seemed so happy to be flitting about the aisles. She led me through ladies' makeup and picked up a few items. With her fresh, youthful face, she didn't need makeup. I kept that opinion to myself figuring if a little makeup made her feel older and bolstered her self-esteem, then so be it.

I pulled a set of pajamas from a nearby rack. "As you know I keep the cabin cool at night. Fresh air is healthy for sleeping. Try these."

She crinkled her nose at the PJs and scanned the shelf behind me. She chose instead a long, flannel nightshirt printed with rainbow-colored unicorns.

I smirked. "Unicorns. Really?"

She grinned and set the nightshirt in the cart.

I halted her when we passed through the electronics department. A bored-looking teenager stood behind the counter. His nametag read, Brad.

"Brad, what's the most basic cellphone you carry with text capabilities?"

"Huh?" He barely heard my question because of ogling Sophie.

I repeated the question.

From beneath the counter, Brad pulled a generic-looking model. "It's not very exciting. Voice and text only. That's it."

While I discussed price with him, Sophie tugged my sleeve. She looked at me with her head cocked.

"I need for you to be able to contact me while I'm at work, in case of an emergency. Actually, it doesn't even have to be an emergency. You can text me anytime."

She shook her head and rubbed her thumb and finger together, trying to tell me it cost too much.

"I need to do this for you. It wouldn't be responsible of me to leave you all alone in the woods without a lifeline."

Sophie held a hand over her heart. Her way of expressing her appreciation.

Brad activated the phone and handed it over.

After paying the young man, I turned to her. "Can you think of anything else we need?"

She grabbed my wrist and squeezed me in what I now realized was a playful game. She wore a mischievous grin.

I responded in the way she expected. "Ow, girl, what are you doing to me?"

She giggled silently and then suddenly wore a serious expression. She motioned with a head nod for me to follow.

"Got it. Lead the way."

We came to an aisle with school supplies. She plucked a composition book from the shelf.

"You want to do some writing?"

Sophie ignored my question while studying the selection of writing instruments. She picked up a six-pack of purple ink pens. Encapsulated within the barrel of the pens was a viscous liquid filled with floating gold glitter.

I said nothing but considered her selection of those glitter pens and the unicorn nightshirt. Also, the pink sneakers. Girlish choices. I took Sophie's age into consideration and realized she hadn't yet abandoned some of her adolescent proclivities. I tried to recall what it had been like for me at sixteen, caught in that awkward transition between youth and adulthood, learning to handle the challenges of life and the responsibility of my first part-time job. That small taste of freedom had been exhilarating but also a little scary.

I never gave it much thought but realized it was probably a harder transition for young ladies. Women had less freedom, fewer opportunities, and stricter demands placed on them by society regarding family and reputation.

Evidently, Sophie had endured something so terrifying, she couldn't yet process it. Who could blame her for wanting to take comfort by regressing to an earlier age when life had been filled with unicorns? I wouldn't judge her choices and hoped the girly items would soothe her.

How was I supposed to deal with a troubled sixteen-year-old girl? I was no therapist and knew I was in over my head. We were strangers to each other. Sophie was not my peer. The difference in our ages represented a wide gulf in terms of maturity and life experience. Could we even relate to each other? Was I really qualified to help her?

Sophie snapped her fingers to shake me from my thoughts. "Sorry, I was just daydreaming."

She flipped her long, red hair over her shoulder and marched away while beckoning me onward. She led me to a rack filled with books. Made sense. Alone and facing boredom for the next four days, she wanted reading material to keep her company. I predicted she would zero-in on romance novels. To my surprise, she passed them by and instead picked up a leather-bound Holy Bible.

She turned to meet my gaze and hugged the volume to her chest.

Why did I suddenly feel uncomfortable? "I...I don't have one of those at the cabin."

She cocked her head.

"You pray at meals. I take it your faith is important to you, isn't it?"

She nodded.

She handed me the Bible. I looked at it. I looked at her. I recalled my thoughts from the previous night about entertaining angels unawares, and a chill ran up my spine. Before I realized what I was saying, the words flew from my mouth. "You are human, aren't you?"

She looked at me with a raised eyebrow while I felt my face flush with embarrassment over asking such a ridiculous question. She didn't answer, and I didn't blame her.

I placed the Bible in the cart.

Everything about this adorable angel was a mystery. It crushed me to know demons plagued her. She might not be a real princess, and I certainly was no knight, but those details didn't discourage me from wanting to be her hero.