Little Leaps

Chapter Eleven

Loud music blares through the overhead speakers as I shuffle through another rack of clothing. My fingers run over the material as I peek at the different gowns. Dress after dress, nothing catches my eye, not even the sparkly dresses loaded with bling.

The dresses are beautiful but they aren't what I need for the engagement party. Finding something eloquent without the price tag to accompany it seems to be the main challenge. I can only hope I won't face the same issue with my wedding dress, but knowing my luck, it'll be over before we've started.

"What about this dress?" Charlotte calls out.

She holds up a dress we passed in the previous shop which I kind of liked until I tried it on. We've seen so many dresses, my brain is  about to turn into mush.

"No, but maybe something similar would be nice."

We continue through the shop until I hit the last rack. Relief courses through my body because it means we can finally quit for the day. My feet are aching and I need food and water before I waste away.

I rummage through the dresses until I notice the old, battered leather seat tucked into the corner. Before I realise what I'm doing, my feet are traveling across the room and my bottom is planted on the cushion. It isn't the comfiest, but the seat offers my feet some relief.

"I would push through but then I saw the seat." I laugh. "I'm dead, shopping is so hard."

"After this, I'm begging Kyle to rub my feet."

"I'm with you on that!" I nod my head.

She shuffles through the rest of the rack and then throws her hands into the air. With frazzled expressions, we leave the store and hobble to the car park. On the way there, we weave through the streams of traffic.

I glance at the passing shops, double checking to ensure we haven't missed anything. But as the shops pass and the manikins fade into my distant memory, nothing stands out. I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but I'll find it.

What I notice, is the way Charlotte's attention is captured by small children and babies. As the afternoon roles through, the shops flock with different people. Mothers and their children, teens dressed in their school clothing and workers rushing between jobs.

I never noticed this until now, I wonder if she's searching for her child. That by some sheer luck, perhaps he'll waddle past with his parents. It's unlikely, but hope keeps us moving forward. I know I said I wanted nothing to do with this, but my heart still burns.

I wasn't being fair on Charlotte; I was being selfish. It's hard to play that balancing act—the one where you're trying to protect yourself but also protect your friends. 

Charlotte and I wander through the electric sliding doors and progress across the pathway. I open my bag and shuffle through the content to find my keys.