Friday Flash: Always is a Long Time

‘Woah, now just slow down there’ a voice hollered from the next aisle seconds before a tiny child came hurtling around the corner pushing a basket on wheels. His beam almost entirely covered his face and his eyes sparkled with mischief.

Susie leapt away from the wine bottles she was perusing, just in time to save her ankles. A red faced woman, wearing a struggle bun and a baby on her front, came rushing after him with another small child at her side.

‘Jack I said slow down! Now come on its Daisy’s turn’

She looked up at Susie and smiled apologetically, before her attention was dragged to the basket being launched at poor Daisy. The small boy fell into a screaming tirade as he appeared to break-dance his way back up the aisle.

Susie made a quick grab for the first bottle of wine in front of her and turned to see the woman watching her with longing in her eyes as she took in Susie’s smart suit, high heels and minimal shopping.

Susie couldn’t hang around for the comment that was no doubt on the woman’s lips. Whether she said it or not didn’t matter. She couldn’t bear to be reminded how lucky she was to have all this time, all this space in her days. Not today.

She left the woman and her brood behind her as she headed to  her final stop at the sanitary products. Tossing a pack of ‘Always’ into her basket, she winced at the irony and holding her own hand as if holding herself together, she headed for the checkout.

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Here’s this week’s story from the MacBook. A short one written (again) for writing group and inspired by my mothering as many of my stories are! ________________________________________________________

Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels

Thanks for reading

Anna x