AllFreeNovel
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“Where are we?” I ask.
“They moved the farmer’s market here last year,” Hallie tells me as she shuts off the car and opens the driver’s side door. “If you came home more frequently, you’d know that.”
I ignore the dig as I climb out of the vehicle. “What are we doing here?”
“I need a few things for dinner. You can browse the booths. They have crafty stuff for sale too.”
“Crafty stuff?”
“Yeah, knitwear, embroidery, artwork. Stuff like that.”
“How exciting,” I deadpan as we walk inside.
I trail after Hallie, glancing around the booths as we pass them. There’s fresh bread, slippers, cheese, wooden bowls, and even a table selling homemade dog treats.
I stop at one displaying framed paintings on a wire wall. They’re mostly watercolors. My gaze lands on one of a soccer field. The watercolor effect makes it look like it’s raining.
An elderly woman appears at my side. “Can I help you find anything, dear?”
“I—no.” I look at the painting again. It reminds me of my favorite painting in the art museum in Kluvberg. Also of a rain-soaked field in Canada. “Are you the artist?”
“I sure am,” she says proudly. “Painted this one while I was watching my grandson’s soccer game.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll take it,” I say impulsively.
“Wonderful! Let me wrap it up for you.”
I watch as she carefully folds a few sheets of tissue paper around the painting and then sets it in a box. I pay and thank the woman, then continue walking. Hallie is browsing through bouquets of flowers several booths down.
“You bought something?” she asks, spotting the box I’m carrying.
“Yeah. Found a painting I liked.”
She raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment. “Can you hold these?”
“Sure,” I say, tucking the box under my arm and taking the flowers from her.
Hallie finishes her shopping and then we head back out into the parking lot. It takes several minutes to load all the groceries she purchased into the back of the car.
“Hi, Hallie!” A blonde woman stops by the trunk.
“Hi, Stephanie. How have you been?”
“Busy,” the woman replies with a smile. “Simon is teething.”
“Oh, no,” Hallie responds.
I feel like saying the same thing, except in relation to this topic of conversation.
“Yup, it’s been an experience. Hoping I’ll have some wisdom to pass along by the time Matthew hits that stage.”
Hallie laughs. “That would be wonderful.”
“Who’s this?” The woman turns her attention to me.
