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She might even fall asleep in the car on the way back. Like a puppy asleep on its ball.
Once in the store, Mina leaned on the grocery cart and started her slow slog through the aisles. She picked up an apple from one of the bins, examined the weight and the skin and felt for chances of mushiness, while examining the variety and comparing prices. She did the same for oranges and pears. The selection of potatoes was disappointing, especially this close to Idaho.
She was shuffling her feet through the bread when she noticed Levi wasn’t behind her. She stopped, looked around and smiled at the surprise on his face when he caught up to her. “You’re wearing slippers,” he said. The scruff on his face couldn’t hide the wrinkles in his cheeks as he pulled his lips to one side in disbelief. And those wrinkles were no match for the crinkles of his forehead.
She smiled, sticking one foot out for his inspection. “Sure am. I couldn’t face putting on anything where the shoe would be tight along my skin.” The jeans were bad enough. Yoga pants would have been a better idea, but she had wanted to prove something to herself. And she had; she’d proved that yoga pants would have been a better idea.
“But they look almost like loafers. Plus, you’re the only one who’s going to look at my feet long enough to notice.”
She was pretty sure the wrinkles and scruff were now hiding a smile.
After putting her regular brand of bread in her cart, she stopped in front of another and pulled a bag off the shelf, then turned it over to look at the back.
“You already have bread in your cart,” he said.
“I know. But this is a new brand, so maybe it’s a better one.” It wasn’t, so she put it back and moved on to the peanut butter.
“What were you looking for?”
He sounded genuinely curious, so she answered. “Fiber content. My meds mess with my digestive system. Eating a proper diet helps.”
“And with the peanut butter?” he asked.
She had two jars of peanut butter in her hands and was comparing the ingredients. “Sugar and salt content.”
She decided to stick with her regular brand, then picked up a jar of almond butter. “I never buy this because it’s too expensive, but I think I deserve it today.”
She didn’t stop at the luncheon meats—all too salty and guaranteed to upset her stomach—and instead turned her shuffle down the first aisle. “I should have made a list,” she said, grabbing a bag of dried apricots even though she wasn’t sure if she was out. For good measure she added some dried cranberries and an expensive bag of dried blueberries. Again, the flu provided some justification.
“I never go to the grocery store without a list,” he said.
“Do you buy only what’s on your list?” she asked. “Never mind. I’ll bet you do.” Did she have salad dressing? Not this kind of salad dressing, she was sure. “I don’t. The list is more of a guiding principle, rather than a rule. Ideas, suggestions and opportunities, but not restrictions. Never restrictions. The grocery store is a place of possibilities. Why would I limit myself?”
Oil was one thing she was certain she didn’t need, so she was able to pass by those bottles with only a quick glance before turning down the next aisle. Again, she had the sense Levi wasn’t following her. When she traced her steps back to find him, he was shaking his head, and there was a smile on his face that his scruff couldn’t hide.
“What?”
“I always thought the grocery store was a chore. It’s, uh, great fun to come with you.”
“Stick with me, baby. I’ll make everything an adventure.”
He laughed. “I plan to. Stick with you, I mean.”
“Well, hurry up, then. This is the second time I’ve had to turn around to get you.”
He chuckled again, still shaking his head, and followed her down the next aisle.
“I wish Lucky Charms weren’t so full of sugar,” she said, reaching for Cheerios to add to her yogurt in the mornings. “But I’ve never understood why anyone would want chocolate cereal. What do you eat for breakfast when you’re not making your girlfriend pancakes?”
“Oatmeal.”
