Bounded Souls

18.

Solana ran her hands over her face as she looked over the canned foods in the grocery aisle. She grabbed a few canned red peas and placed them into her cart. She continued to push the cart along the aisle and looked for more of the things that were on her list. Sherrie and Vivian planned on making dinner for the night whilst Solana made dessert, so she was on a hunt for ingredients for both meals.

As she tucked her phone between her ear and shoulder, she grabbed a bag of rice and pushed it at the bottom of the shopping cart.

"How's the business going?" Mark questioned.

It'd been awhile since they spoke. He'd gotten the hint that their relationship wasn't going to be the same when she informed him that she wasn't coming back yet. He was never one for long distance relationships, but he loved Solana. They'd been together for years and never really spent time apart until now.

"It's...going." Solana sighed exasperatedly. "I'm redesigning the store, but I also wanna keep my grandmother's designs. I'm even adding things to the menu. But it's hard cause-"

"You don't wanna lose customers." Mark confirmed.

"Yeah, I don't want people to think there's no more authenticity. They already can't stand me. I don't need them hating me anymore." She rolled her eyes.

It was evident that people still had a problem with the fact that she owned the shop. People talked and people stared. She tried to not let it get to her, but she couldn't help but feel misplaced. She felt like she didn't belong even when she was growing up in Jersey. She was exiled from many things due to being the daughter of Moriah.

Moriah and Lina were well known around their town, because everyone loved their mother. They had a reputation to uphold and Moriah fell off the tracks when she turned eighteen. She started using drugs until she became pregnant with Solana. That was the only time where she wasn't hooked on drugs. Moriah grew wild and unhinged. There was a point where no one could tell her anything. It was evident that their family was crumbling before everyone's eyes, no matter how much Vivian tried to keep things private.

"Who cares what they think? Your grandmother clearly made you run the business because she knows that you're capable of it."

"Tell that to my aunt Lina." Solana scoffed.

"Lina? Who's that?" Mark asked.

Solana sighed as she placed a case of water in the cart and started her walk towards the cashier lines.

"Lina is Sherrie's mom. She's back in town for a few days and it's been dreadful."

Mark chuckled, "Why?"

"She comments on everything and she doesn't stop to remind me about my mother and how much I remind her of Moriah."

Solana was aware that Moriah and Line didn't get along well as they grew older, but she didn't know that Lina would hold so much resentment for her own sister that had passed on. It pained her to see that Lina still held hard feelings towards her mother and wouldn't just let things be. It wouldn't be long before Solana snapped on her aunt. She felt it brewing within her everytime she was in her presence.

"Maybe you should take a break and come back home for a bit?" Mark suggested. His voice was laced with hope and apprehension.

Solana sighed and briefly closed her eyes. "I'd love to Mark, but-"

"Solana?" A voice called out.

Her head snapped around to see a middle aged woman standing behind her with a basket in both of her hands. Her eyes wide with astonishment.