Luck or Fate?

Labor Day

"So, Henry, what do you want to do today?" I ask him as I'm making pancakes for breakfast. I look out the window and see some dark storm clouds gathering in the sky. "We can go to the video game store, or we could stay home, which I'm fine with because of the weather, but..." I need to see Killian again, I think.

"Actually, Mom, can we go to the mall? I want to get some new shoes. Mine are getting too small."

"Alright. Sounds like a plan."

I put the pancakes on a plate and drizzle maple syrup onto them. "Mmmmm, smells good." Henry says.

Suddenly, a rumble of thunder sounds from outside. "Wow, a thunderstorm. A little unusual for September. Are you still up for going out?" I ask.

"Only if you are." He says, smiling.

I smile at him and grab a pancake from a stack. "Okay. I can go to Macy's if you don't want to, you know, go shopping with your mom."

He reaches across the table and takes my hand. "Don't say that. I would love to go shopping with my mom." I smile at him warmly before he continues, "Besides, you have an excellent sense of fashion and I might need your help with choosing the right pair."

I laugh. "Henry, you always know what to say."

He chuckles. "I hope so." He checks the clock. "Its almost 10 o'clock."

"Let's leave at 11. Nobody's going to be out in this weather."

I couldn't have been more wrong. The traffic was terrible. Cars were backed up to get onto the highway and the expressway was even worse. There was a car accident blocking 2 lanes, and it took us about an hour to get to the Bay Plaza Mall. With the thunderstorm, the radio wasn't working, so Henry and I played the license plate game. When we finally got to our destination, we went to the food court and got some lunch. "Where do you want to go first?" I ask, sitting down at a table.

"I think we should go to Journeys. They probably have the best selection for shoes." He says.

"Okay. Sounds good." I say, taking a bite of my cheeseburger. Without thinking about it, I look around the food court for Killian. While I don't see his slicked hair or leather coat, I do see a girl with brown hair tied up in a ponytail. "Hey, isn't that Claire?" I ask, pointing over to the girl.

Henry looks at where I'm pointing and his face lights up. "Yeah that's her. Mom, what should I do?" He says, looking at me.

"We'll go say hi when we're done."

"But she's with her friends. And what if she leaves before we're done?" He says, looking in her direction again.

"Henry, let me tell you something. When she came over on Saturday, I could see you guys having a good time. And I know why you played Egyptian War. So you could touch her hand." He looks down, blushing. "And you know why she liked the game so much? Because she could touch your hand." He looks up, surprised. "And you know how I know? I do have a superpower, you know." I say smiling. "You guys are both truly happy with each other. And we're going to go say hi." I pull him up and we walk over to them.

Before he does, he hugs me. "Thanks for everything, Mom."

I hug him back. "You're welcome. Now go have fun!"

He walks over to Claire and her friends and I see Claire hug Henry. "Awwww." I say out loud.

"They're something, aren't they?" I hear a deep voice say.