Mrs Emerson Michaels

the Store.

"Girl! Just the other day you promised, we'd go check out this Friday night's sale, and now you're saying we can't?!"

Samantha whined with irritation.  

"Look, me and Millie are just getting her some things including the marketing-"

Emerson explained while watching Millie look over some things that caught her interest. 

Her phone pressed to her ear on  her shoulder, as she  lifted her arms to see a pants size, for 

Millie.

"So sorry,  but I and Sebastian  promised her new clothes. We're just gonna have to reschedule."

"But we both agreed this Friday!" Samantha whined again.   Just as Emerson was going to protest. Eli takes the phone.

"Yes, Emerson, she understands and agrees to rescheduling. Bye, have fun shopping, stay safe."

Emerson blinked then hung up the phone, when she heard the line end, placing  it back in her purse.

Emerson sighs, "Alright Millie what do you say we go and-!" 

She looked up, noticing Millie wasn't anywhere in sight,  which she clearly pointed out before coming to the store , to stay where she could see her at all times.

"Millie?!"  Emerson's voice momentarily panics as she goes to find her. Few glances, glance her way as she calls out.

"where did you run off to?!!"

 She calms herself before she could make a scene and studded down a few halls in search of her with the basket.

"Millie?" She called out again. Finding panic again as she looked around each aisle.

●●●●

Meanwhile,

Millie had walked to the other side of the store, as something had caught her eye.  Without notifying Emerson to where she was going,  she'd snuck off to look around.  

She'd never gone out before, never even knew what a store was, all her life she'd known just her orphan childhood.  

Millie Day, was a highly motivated girl ,..sometimes, who didn't really understand  the fullness of safety hazards.

Still though Emerson had been on the phone, and that's when she decided it was the perfect time to take advantage. The second Emerson's eyes turned she had gone.

Not to escape the life granted,  but to sneak, look around a bit, and be back before she'd even known she was missing. That of course hadn't happened and Emerson is now probably looking for her. 

Okay, she was  looking for her. Millie hurried back, but then fell lost, as she looked at the aisle that aligned the entire space.

She hadn't known where she'd gone nor remember what aisle Emerson had been in.

The slight worry only sparked a sec before she'd bushed it off.

"Oh well she'll find me soon." 

She wasn't worried,  it wasn't like being alone scared her, she'd been alone  a lot in her life.  With that in mind she was calm just looking and touching various things  that interested her.

She came across books that neatly lined up against each other in size.

She got one that read out  on the front cover;  'Dungeons and the viral knight of  the cast' and just like that she started reading. Sprawled across the branch seat on the edge of the aisle.

" You do know this is a store and not a library right?"

Calls a low sounding voice only  after a moment.  "Ah!" With the suddenness Millie jumps, spinning her head fast, as she turns to see who was behind. 

The  figure  appeared to be a full college adult, their hair as dark as the night sky, muscles flexed underneath a V neck gray shirt that wrapped around their muscular form just right.

"Woah now , apologizes, didn't mean to startle ya." The man said, raising up his hands to show no illwill. 

"Couldn't help, but noticin ya folks not about." 

 She fully faced him though the wanting to ignore him seemed somehow the wrong choice. 

"Children shouldn't be about by themselves ya know. Where are your folks,- " he asked "did you get lost?" 

She clutched at the book's  panel she held, blinking, unsure if she'd be safe telling them anything.

  Her  guards up, defensive,  ready to bolt by the youthful college voice of the stranger.

She didn't trust anyone. Not then and definitely not now. Her  eyes narrowed in suspicion, shoulders tense.

Sensing the tension the guy sighs.

 " Look, I ain't gonna bite,kay, just want to know if you're gonna be alrigh..  I'd feel safer knowin ya ain't in no danger."

Millie blinked. She did get lost. And Emerson most definitely found out she was missing by now.

Millie sighed, placing the book back. The college looking jockey    smiled kindly.

"Fine, yeah I'm lost, mind helping me find a lady about- a - tall, blonde hair and copper halter dress.. "

Millie explains her adoptive mother Emerson's appearance  to the college graduate.  

Meanwhile, 

Emerson  still felt under stress at Millie's sudden  disappearance, Emerson kept calling for her name.

"Millie Day Michaels! I swear the moment I find you, you and I are going to have a talk."

She hissed through though worried, gritted teeth. 

"Where the hell are you?"  As Emerson cursed herself for not having a sharp enough eye on a thirteen year old girl.   Just then her phone began to ring, vibrating within her purse. 

She froze, shut her eyes tight and prayed it wasn't who she thought it would be, but the chances of that being the case briefly passed as she looked to  the caller ID: Husband.  

"Fuck!" Emerson cursed before picking up; she practiced not trying to sound so panicked.

"HEy babe-  hi  Baby- Sebby Baby- ugh aha fuck!"

With a risk she pressed the call button, and placed her phone  to her ear.

"Hey Sebby~!" She merely chuckled  out as she was worried how she'd explain how she would have missed a thirteen year old, she knew she should have been watching. 

On the other line was nearly a mere chuckle, as though something was knowing. 

"Hello, everything okay? How's shopping going? " Sebastian asked.

" Everything's fine!"  Emerson says though it's a lie, which is something she's known to well that would land her under consequence. But she couldn't help it, how was she supposed to tell him that she'd let a child leave out of her sight.