Daddy [h.s]

Thirty Six

Grocery shopping wasn't on my list of the things I would do voluntarily. But with a mother who was barely home, seeing her for about three hours tops a day wasn't exactly comforting. When I found out there was no food in the fridge or anything to eat, that's when I had eventually caved in because I after all, I love food. Who doesn't love food?

I had made a list of things I've wanted, knowing I wouldn't remember if I didn't write it down. I hadn't realised how much of a pain in the ass having to decide certain things were.

Too many flavours.

Too many options.

Too much food.

I pushed my cart stacked with many, many items with my left hand as I held the list in the other, mentally checking off many of them. I flinched and almost dropped the piece of paper when my cart collided forcefully with another one, making me stagger a few steps back from the impact.

My head darted up, about to apologise when my eyes widened with uncertainty.
Brown eyes met mine. 

Those brown eyes looked familiar. I just couldn't place my finger on it. They were too familiar. I swallowed down the lump in my throat as I stared in those cold hard eyes.

"I apologise, I wasn't looking. My fault" A warm smile was spread across his lips, his eyes flickering back and forth between mine as if he knew something I didn't.

I couldn't even open my mouth. There was something hazy and foggy in the back of my mind that wouldn't become clear no matter how hard I tried which eventually started to frustrate me.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself and nodded, "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking either...it's my fault as well"

I couldn't look away. Not even when the man sure to be around in his early forties gave me a small smile before going off on his way. I willed myself not to look back or I knew for sure I would end up freaking myself out.

When I went back to pick up the rest of the food on my list, I couldn't help but notice the bulky silhouette near the end of the aisle I was in, staring straight at me with a small callous smirk upon their lips. When I blinked my eyes, it was if it was just a part of my imagination because it he was gone.

✬

I was working on an essay which was due in two days. I had finally forced myself to at least start it. I was happy and proud of myself when I got almost three paragraphs done. It was progress. I tiredly rubbed my eyes which then darted towards the time at the bottom of my laptop screen, 3:26 PM.

It felt as if it was later than that from the amount if energy that felt drained from me. I shut my laptop off and was about to take a quick nap when there were knocks on my front door. I didn't know why people knocked when there was a doorbell, it can't be that hard to raise a finger.