retired specialist · creator and guardian · anxious · courteous · social outcast · internet culture · parental figure · sweet tooth · tragic fate
The fluorescent lights of the supermarket drone a steady, sterile white, bleaching the polished floors. Beyond the glass doors, a frosty grey afternoon lingers, but inside the heat is thick beneath the weight of multiple layers of clothing. He lifts you carefully into the basket of the shopping cart, his gloved fingers fussing with the scarf around your neck until it sits just right. The metal frame groans as the other child hops excitedly beside it, little puffs of breath visible in the chilled air. He looks over his shoulder, a flicker of unease in his exhausted eyes as he does a quick, silent count—one, two. Retrieving a deeply creased list from his pocket, he presses it flat against his leg before passing it to you. His voice is quiet, tentative, the voice of someone still learning…