Candy Kisses

Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Tubby Tessa

Monica called off items on her shopping list as Tessa guided her through Biggy's. Considering this was such a small town, the store was well stocked with a superb layout, something Monica's trained eye picked up on immediately. In her mind she made a few revisions to improve the produce section, and then laughed silently, wondering if Tessa was doing the same thing?

"I think the spices are on the next aisle," said Tessa.

Monica turned her cart around a corner and almost bumped into another one that had a toddler in the seat and an older child hanging on the basket. The young mother exclaimed, "Oh, excuse me!" She laughed. "We're having a traffic jam in Biggie's Bag..." She stopped talking and gasped.

Monica had already recognized the woman with strawberry blonde hair and stood immobilized.

Neither woman spoke. Finally, Monica said, "Hello Tooty."

Tooty nodded. "Monica."

Tessa glanced back and forth between them, and the toddler in the cart whined, "Mommy, I want down." The other boy started playing with cans on the shelves.

Absentmindedly, Tooty said, "Not now Austin and stop whining; Morgan, leave the peas alone or I'll buy them and make you eat them."

Monica suddenly noticed that Tooty was pregnant. Without thinking, she blurted, "You're having another baby?"

Tooty straightened her shoulders and said, "Yes. Miles and I are having a girl this time."

Monica didn't know how she could get her foot out of her mouth, so she just said, "I think that's wonderful. Will you please give Miles my congratulations?"

Tooty seemed to relax slightly and started to say something when a red-headed, freckle-faced boy about Tessa's age barreled around the corner and skidded to a halt, just missing smashing into Tooty's cart. From the look on Tessa's face, she didn't like the boy. Instantly, Monica didn't like him either. Disregarding the adults, he smirked, "Hi, Tubby Tessa," and started to dart away, but Monica grabbed his shirtsleeve as she watched Tessa turn every shade of red and visibly shrink backward. Forgetting her disaster with Tooty for the moment, she narrowed her gaze at the boy. "What did you say?"

At her menacing tone the boy's eyes widened. Before he could answer, she said, "Do you know what the mean kids in my class called the boy with red hair and freckles? They called him Freaky Freckles Freddie. Is your name Freddie?"

"N-no, ma'am. It's Jared."

"Should I call you Jerky Jared? Or are you going to apologize to Tessa?"

The boys eyes widened even more and he said, "S-sorry, Tessa." Monica released his shirtsleeve and he ran back the way he'd come.

Both Tooty and Tessa stared at Monica with their mouths gaping. Monica reached a hand to pat Tessa's shoulder. "Honey, if he gives you anymore trouble, you just let me know. He's a bully and I have no qualms about letting his parents and your teacher know. If he isn't stopped now, he'll only get worse." When Tessa nodded, Monica returned her attention to Tooty. "Please tell Miles I said hello and thank him for finding me this job."

Tooty barely nodded and her little boy started whining again. The last thing Monica wanted to hear was a whining child, so she pushed her cart around Tooty's and said, "Come on, Tessa, let's find those spices."

* * *

Tooty rushed inside her home, deposited Austin in his bedroom and ordered Morgan to play with him, and then went in search of Miles. Unloading her groceries was low priority at the moment.