Grocery Store

Evelyn stared at her mother. Guilt swam in her eyes. The woman went down on her knees and hugged Evelyn. Her mother had tears forming in her eyes.

"My baby, I am sorry," she said. Her voice cracked.

This made Evelyn's heart clench painfully. She never meant to hurt her mother. Lifting her small palm, she patted on her mother's back in an attempt to comfort the petite woman.

"Mom, I am fine. Don't cry. I won't look for father again."

Having her daughter say those words to her was heartbreaking. Amelia felt like a failure. Although she worked hard, Amelia knew that the gap left by the father's absence can't be filled by her.

After that, Amelia wiped away the tears and composed herself. She stood up. It surprised Evelyn when she saw the rate at which her mother changed expressions.

Gone was that softness, and it had been replaced by sternness. That gaze of hers turned sharp as she began to chide at Evelyn. This made Evelyn lower her head.

"And, Evelyn, how dare you sneak out!? Do you know how dangerous it was for you? What if someone took you or if you got hurt!?

Do you know how scared mom was? I told you that you can't sneak out of the school! You have to be a good girl! But it's seem that your belly is full of tricks! Do I have to punish you? You are—"

Before her mother could continue with her scolding, Evelyn stepped forward and grabbed on to her mother's leg. She then stared at her mother. Her doe eyes looked at woman apologetically as she blinked them.

"Mom, I am sorry. I won't make you worry again. I promise."

Amelia patted her daughter's hair and stated, "Baby, you should know that mom worries sick if she doesn't know where you are."

Evelyn nodded.

"Now, can I have spaghetti with meatballs today?"

Evelyn had a list of dishes she wished to taste, and this was on top of the list. In the orphanage, she mostly had to survive on different sort of breads that had gone hard along with soup.

"I have to check if we have the ingredients," Amelia voiced out.

"We can go to the grocery store then."

°°°

Evelyn bounced on her feet while standing in front of the grocery store. She waited for her mother to catch up to her. Waving her hand at the woman, she excitedly spoke, "Hurry up, mom."

Evelyn knew that the grocery store was filled with all sorts of delicious goodies and wanted to buy them. If her mother couldn't afford them, she was fine with just looking at them.

Amelia held open the door for her once she arrived and Evelyn quickly entered the grocery store. The grocery store wasn't that large, so Amelia wasn't concerned when Evelyn rushed off to find what she wanted to eat. The neighborhood was considerably safe as well.

"Hello, Mrs. Baker!" Evelyn greeted the woman behind the counter enthusiastically.

The middle-aged woman gave Evelyn a friendly smile and asked, "Is little Evelyn here again? What are you here to buy?"

Evelyn's eyes sparkled with glint as she said, "Chocolates. Candies. Also marshmallows. Lots of them. Ah, even ice-creams!"

"That's a long list you got there."

Evelyn grinned at it.

"Weren't you complaining

"Weren't you complaining about toothache the other day and made a promise to not touch those junk food anymore?"

Evelyn stared at her mother confused as if she forgot about it.

"When did I, Mom? Stop lying. I am going on my hunt then."

Before Amelia could say a word to stop her, Evelyn energetically rushed off.

"This girl… Be careful. Slow down, and don't fall."

"She is really lovely," commented Mrs. Baker.

A smile appeared on Amelia's face at that.

"She can be quite a handful."

"It should be hard for you to take care of her on your own. It would be great if you had a man to take care of both of you."

Amelia laughed.

"Now, where would I find a man?"

"That shouldn't be difficult. My neighbor's nephew saw you the other day and inquired about you. He is doing well. A little bit older, but he has a stable job and looks good too. You know, as they say, mature men are better. They know how to take care of a family well."

Amelia felt awkward about. Mrs. Baker had been nothing but kind to her. She didn't wish to offend the woman and sour their relationship.

"I am a divorcee with a five year old daughter. It's not that I am young. I am afraid I am not good enough for him."

"He knows about your situation and doesn't mind. What's the matter with your age? You are quite young, and look at you. You are so beautiful. Stunning."

"I will think about it," Amelia left behind those words before walking off.