Puzzles and Pieces ✔

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I had a newfound respect for single parents, especially for single fathers.

The wheels on the shopping cart rattled loudly on the tiled floor. It had been a year since Caleb has been gone. Kyle had started to grow bigger and became rowdier. After countless sleepless nights and long shifts, shopping for groceries felt more like a challenge. It felt especially difficult since I had to make sure that Kyle didn't get into some kind of trouble.

"Dad, can we get this?" Kyle held up a large box. It was a box of sugary cereal.

"No, it's unhealthy."

"Pleaaaase." He stuck out his bottom lip.

"Maybe next time. We already got cereal at home and we need to finish that first."

He gave an exaggerated frown. "Okay."

My feet continued to drag along the ground. I managed to get everything except vegetables. I looked at the produce section and analyzed the prices of what was available. My mouth formed into a tight line as I see the prices have been raised. Money had been tight for a while. Raising a kid hasn't been easy at all.

I spotted a bag of potatoes and looked at the price. It seemed cheap enough and it would last us for a whole month.

"Kyle, what do you think of mashed potatoes?" I asked. I looked over to the cart to see if he was listening. "Kyle?"

Kyle was gone.

Panic slowly rose in my chest and I forgot about the cart. I went to search back into the aisles that I last saw him. I was relieved to see he was where I had last seen him. He was reaching for another box of cereal on a high shelf. I was about to approach him when another woman had the same idea I had and began to talk to him.

"Hello, there." The woman greeted. "Where's your mommy?"

The woman had a large shopping basket filled to the brim with groceries. She laid the basket on the ground and leaned down, so she was able to talk to him.

Kyle eyed the woman's brightly coloured scarf before looking at her. "Huh?"

The woman gave a concerned look. I jogged to Kyle. Kyle looked back and his eyes lit up. It quickly went away when he saw my stern expression and I patted his head.

"There you are, Kyle. Don't run off like that."

The woman looked relieved. She rose from her position and picked up her basket. "Oh, are you his babysitter?"

I glanced at Kyle. He avoided my gaze by running a finger along the store's shelves. I know I didn't look like him, but I wasn't exactly the whitest person either.

I gave an awkward cough. "He's my son."

The woman casually took more items into her basket and gave me a sympathetic smile. "Ah, the wife too busy to watch over him?"

I froze. "His other dad passed a year ago."

Her face became stone cold which was a contrast to the previous warm and happy expression that I had seen prior.

"Oh." I could tell by her flat tone she was judging me. She proceeded to leave without saying another word.

I tried to shrug off the interaction and looked back at Kyle. "Kyle, lets go."

"Why didn't the lady like us?" This kid seemed to be full of questions lately.

"Some people just think everyone needs a mommy. So, she thought you would be happier if you had a mommy," I explained.

"Would I be happier with a mommy?" I could feel my mouth go slightly dry at the question.

I paused for a moment, searching for an appropriate response. "Are you happy now?"

He put a finger on his chin to show that he was thinking and let a long humming sound. "Yes."

"Does that make you think you need a mommy?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Then you have your answer. I love you and you love me and that's all that matters because we're family." I patted his head and he smiled up at me.

We walked back to the cart and I made sure to put the potatoes into it before we left. Kyle ducked under my arms and placed his own hands on the shopping cart's handles, helping me push it.

"Ready to go?" I asked him.

"Yeah!"

We started to push the cart forward, but a cart unexpectedly bumped into ours from the other direction.

"I'm so sorry about- Oh. It's you."

I couldn't stop the shock seeping into my words as I stared at the man in front of me. Mr. Matthews returned the greeting with a judgmental gaze. In his cart were many ready-made meals and a box of pop. It seemed like he still didn't want to acknowledge Kyle's existence as he refused to look in his direction.

"You should really look out where you're going." The hoarseness of his voice indicated to me that he either hadn't woken up too long ago or he needed something to drink.

I looked over his arm. His arm was tucked underneath his jacket in a sling. I could see the white and blue cast peeking out of the fabric while he attempted to hide it more by shrugging his shoulder.

"What happened?"

"Nothing." The harshness of his tone told me he didn't want to talk about it.

"Do you need help? You got quite a lot." I glanced at the large box.

"I can manage on my own," he snapped at me.

He struggled to redirect his cart in the other direction but managed. He started wheeling his cart away and we followed his direction. I wondered if he was heading towards the check-out lanes as well.

"Why the hell are you following me?" He looked back at me and gave me an intense glare.

"I'm going to check out my groceries," I said slowly. I stared at him in confusion and he broke my gaze.

"Oh." His voice slightly softened, seeming to realize his mistake. "So am I."

When we arrived at the check-out lanes, there was only one cashier available. It seemed more awkwardness had to be endured today. The line was going relatively fast as the cashier did her best to tend to all the purchases as efficiently as possible.

Mr. Matthews was next in line. His arm reached into his pocket to pull out a wallet. He fumbled with it, trying to pull out a credit card from the slot.

"Do you need help, sir?" The cashier asked. Her smile was tight. Most likely rehearsed after being in customer service for a long time.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You really seem to be having difficulties." The cashier seemed hesitant after the response he had given her, but he shook his head.

"I'm a man. I'm not a baby." He slapped the card down onto the surface, as if proving his masculinity. "A little old arthritis isn't going to kill me."

The cashier proceeded to check him out and he left the store in a huff. My eyebrows were knit together in concern, but I put the items onto the conveyor belt and proceeded to check out.

"He looked sad," Kyle said.

"Who looked sad?" I glanced at him and he tilted his head.

"That old man." He said it like it was a matter of fact.

"Ah, he did?"

"Yeah."

Maybe Kyle was right, but I wasn't sure if I would want to have an encounter like that ever again.