The aisles of the grocery store seemed long and very high. She was always afraid that if she stepped on the bottom shelf to push herself up to get the last box of Hamburger Helper that it might fall on her, crushing her to nothing. Pam hated shopping alone. She had always wanted Neil to help her get the shopping list made and have him get the ground chuck when she didn’t want to touch it. He had neglected to do those things for her and soon, she hadn’t put up with him anymore.

Neil had gotten up one day, decided that he needed booze more than his family, got drunk, and walked out the door. He left his wife of seven years and their four year old daughter Scarlet in a big empty house all by themselves.

Pam had known that when she married him that the passion wouldn’t last. She regretted saying her vows with him and sticking with him as long as she had. He had worked hard at the law firm and would always go out with his buddies, leaving Pam to make dinner, clean house, and tuck herself and their child into bed every night without saying so much as a ‘goodnight.’ Pam’s heart used to break when he came home wasted and fell into bed every night. Her dreams of the perfect marriage were shattered the first night that had happened. He had come in with rum and coke on his breath and had passed out without acknowledging her crying silently on the pillow.

Then it all changed in one second when he had walked out the door drunk, got into his BMW, ran a red light, and crashed into a family of three. He torn two family’s lives apart within one split second decision.

Pam cared for Neil because he was the father of her gorgeous daughter. When the police had knocked on their door, Scarlet ran to answer and then ran back at the sight of the uniformed officers. Pam made her way to the door and knew that something had happened. The police officer sat quietly in the living room until she took a seat of her own. The news had been hard for her to take in. At first, she glanced around to make sure that Scarlet was still coloring in the play room and she then had let her tears flow. Even though their relationship had ended long before his death, Pam felt guilt and sadness that she let him leave with alcohol in his system. She had let him drive away and let him ruin his child’s life.

At the funeral, she had tried to be strong, arranging everything and speaking with Scarlet about her father being far away now. Pam hadn’t known how to tell her only child that her father had killed himself and two others as well. She knew that she would never be able to fully explain it. Scarlet would have to make her own conclusions about her father. They soon started their new routine of play dates, bath time, bed time stories, and making their home a fun environment.

“Mom. Are we going to visit daddy today? Isn’t it Sunday?”

Pam wiped off the wet dish and set it down. “We will after I get the dishes done. We need to stop by the grocery store for flowers first.”

Scarlet went back to her puzzle and hummed a familiar tune from one of her sing-a-long tapes. Pam adored her daughter. She was strong and yet so shy and meek. She was just like her mother. When they sat in the cemetery every weekend, Pam would sometimes cry and Scarlet would embrace her and tell her that it was okay. She was going on five and knew how to comfort her mother in the right way. Pam loved that her child had the qualities that she had dreamed her daughter would have. Even though she had Scarlet with the wrong person, she was blessed that she had her. Pam’s life was all about Scarlet.

Leaving Scarlet to pick out the flowers in the market, Pam turned to look at the candy down the aisle. Scarlet needed some for her pre-kindergarten class party. She found some candy bars, checked the nutritional facts, then put them back on the shelf. She spotted a bag of Jelly Bellies and put two sacks in the cart without so much as a thought.

After a few moments of shopping alone, Pam turned back around towards the flower section to see that Scarlet wasn’t standing there. Pam went into panic mode and quickly turned the corner with her cart to see where she had ran off to. With every passing aisle, Pam caught her breath and clutched tighter to the cart. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out her throat if Scarlet wasn’t standing on the next aisle. After several minutes of searching, tears began to stream down her cheeks as she turned to do another run through of the store. Pam whispered to herself, “Scarlet. Please come to Mommy.”

Nothing.

Her knuckles were white and her back hunched over the cart like she was ready to race. She knew her daughter was smarter than to run out of the store or leave the area. Her voice got louder every time she pleaded with her daughter to return to her. “Scarlet. Where are you?” Mommy is ready to go.”

Pam stopped to slow her heartbeat then went back to racing through the store with her eyes peeled for the short, brownish-red headed, pigtailed, dress wearing, little girl she loved. Pam’s ears were keen for any little word or sob from her child and then she heard her. A whimper came from the direction of the fruit stand and Pam knew it was Scarlet.

Pam slowed her pace when her eyes fell upon a broken hearted little girl standing next to the apples with some daisies in her hand. She was intently listening to a man that was lowered to her level as he clutched a little basket of groceries. Pam abandoned her cart and ran over to her baby girl. She picked her up in one swift motion and held on for dear life. Pam’s first instinct was to scold Scarlet for running off. Pam never wanted to let her daughter down. She had already lost one parent, and Pam didn’t want Scarlet to ever feel like she was missing too. Today, Pam apologized and wiped her tears away from her little nose. “Mommy is sorry baby. I am so sorry.”

When Pam put her down and grabbed her hand, she thanked the man that had been comforting Scarlet. She glanced up at him, gave the man a heartfelt thanks, then ushered her child over to the cart. She instantly put Scarlet in the basket and pulled her little dress down in the front.

“Pam?”

Pam immediately looked up at the man standing next to the apples. He was holding his basket of groceries with his long fingers clutched around the handle and his other hand in his pocket. Pam stopped pushing the cart to intently look at a sight she hadn’t seen in nearly eight years.

“Jim?” she said as she squinted at him.

He took a step towards her, almost knocking over a display of oranges. Pam held tight to the cart again in disbelief.

“Wow. How are you?” He held out his arms.

“I’m better now,” Pam said as she looked at Scarlet who was picking at the flowers.

“Looks like it. You’re a mom,” he said as he pointed to the child in the cart.

“Yeah. I have been for almost five years.”

“I can’t believe it’s you. I thought you were gone all these years.”

“We moved back last year when Neil got another job offer at the Price and McGaugh Law Firm.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, old news….How’ve you’ve been?”

“I’ve been fine. Just surviving.”

“Same here,” Pam said with a chuckle.

Scarlet twisted in her seat and spotted the jelly beans in the basket. She reached over, pulled them up to where she was and held them in Pam’s face so she would open them. Pam took the bag and threw it back into the basket. She looked into Scarlet’s eyes and said, “We have to pay for them first.”

----

Jim saw the candies and a smile came across his face. He looked down into his basket and saw a bag of his own sitting next to his fabric softener.

“Mom, let’s go see Dad now!” Scarlet yelled as she moved the basket with her wiggling movements.

Jim took a look at the cute girl he had just rescued. He had found her hunkered down under the fruit stand and knew that she was lost. He had bent down on his knee to look her in the face and asked her what was the matter. He had noticed how adorable she was and prayed that one day he had a daughter that was as gorgeous as she was.

“We will in a minute hun,” Pam said as she tucked a piece behind her ear.

“I will let you go. You’re husband is waiting.”

“It can wait Jim. So, what are you up to this afternoon? Besides getting jelly beans.”

“I just needed a few things around the house.”

“Yeah, us too.”

They let a few silent moments linger between them before Scarlet started singing ‘Mary had a little Lamb.’ Pam tore her gaze from Jim and adoringly smiled at Scarlet. Jim smiled and let out a little laugh to help break the awkward feeling in the produce section of the store. Pam bobbed her head to Scarlet’s tune and then she heard Jim sing along. Pam giggled and joined in as well. After the chorus was over, Scarlet affixed her attention back to sneaking the jelly beans to the front of the cart. Jim and Pam exchanged glances after the song and let out another smile.

“Well, I should let you get going,” Jim said as he moved around Pam’s cart.

“Hey Jim, we should catch up sometime soon.”

“Whenever. I’m usually available for a phone call,” he said as he made a fake phone with his hand.

“You should stop by sometime.”

“I could do that.”

“I’m sure Scarlet would love a visitor.”

“I would love to come over and visit with her someday.”

“She’d like that.”

“Great," he said, knowing that they weren't really talking about Scarlet.

Jim turned and walked down the aisle towards the registers. Pam was through with her shopping and made her way to the front of the store where she stood one lane over from Jim. He was waiting for the clerk to finish ringing up his things and saw Pam’s head over the shelf. Scarlet helped Pam move the items from the basket to the conveyor belt. He turned back around when the cashier gave the total amount. He could hear Pam and Scarlet’s conversation. As he picked up his bags and put them around his wrists, he heard Scarlet ask, “Mom, does Daddy hear us when we talk to him?”

Pam looked up from putting the items on the counter and blinked. “I’m sure he does. He probably looks over us too.”

At the sound of Pam’s answer, Jim realized what the flowers were for and why Pam wasn’t so hesitant to rush out of the grocery store to meet up with her husband. His heart ached for the broken heart of that little girl he had just rescued and the woman he used to love.