Discombobulate

Chapter Twenty-Two

Detective Mullen's grocery cart squeaked every time he moved it. He had been in the baby section for fifteen minutes. Bright colored canisters of baby formula faced him.

His wife was at home with their daughter. In the morning, his daughter would want her morning bottle. Walmart being open twenty-four hours a day meant he could stop there after work.

All he had to do was grab the baby formula, pick out a few other things he needed, and hit the self-checkout. There was only one issue, his daughter was a picky kid. It took four different formulas before they found one she'd drink.

Walmart didn't have it. They had plenty of Gerber and Enfamil formula, but the Similac section was empty. If he called his wife, there was a chance he'd wake up Adeline. It took an hour to get the three-month-old to bed. He didn't want to risk it.

A Sean Kingston song played in the background. It finished and another song started before he finally made up his mind. He snatched one of the Enfamil cans and placed it in the cart. A squeaking cart wheel continued to add to his frustration.

Thankfully, Tuesdays were his day off. He'd be able to go home, go to sleep, and wake up early to spend the whole day with his family. He planned on making his wife a special dinner.

Times had been tough since their baby was born. Mullen hadn't been as prepared as he thought he was. He wanted to rip his hair out the first week they brought Adeline home.

She cried almost every hour. Emily and Mullen were new parents. They had been briefed by multiple people on what to expect. They were prepared for crying, but they weren't prepared for how often it happened.

In the beginning, breastfeeding wasn't an option for Adeline, she refused. Emily's doctor recommended baby formula. If they didn't have the specific Similac formula, Adeline would refuse to eat anything else. Mullen was praying she'd give the Enfamil formula a chance.

It had been almost three months since they brought Adeline home. He wasn't exactly the perfect father. He was still trying to understand things. Emily was a pro at being a mother. Mullen envied his wife's natural motherly instinct. By the second week, she seemed to understand what her daughter needed.

She had started pointing little things out to Mullen. Adeline's cries were louder when she was hungry. They were softer when she needed a diaper change.

A dime-sized amount of Aquaphor was perfect for diaper rash. The baby lotion goes on after the bath. Tummy time happens three times a day. Make sure to burp her after she's fed. The list went on and on.

Mullen let out a yawn. Mondays were always tough and today was no different. His days were filled with interviews, phone calls, and sorting through tips. He spent hours over crime scene photos trying to figure out who killed who. It was an emotionally taxing job, but it was all worth it when he could arrest a killer.

The meat section left him feeling defeated. He wanted to purchase a steak and cook it on the grill. The only steak on the shelf was discolored. The once brightly colored red meat had faded into a light brown.

He picked up the package to take a closer look. The expiration date was four days ago. He shook his head and dropped the pack back onto the refrigerated shelf. Whether it was the employees, or the manager, someone was slacking off.

The baby formula was missing, the steak was expired, and nothing was going right. Not to mention, the babysitter they hired to watch Adeline had announced she wouldn't be available on Tuesday.

He wanted to take Emily on a nice date. It was something the two of them hadn't done in a while. When the babysitter called off, they decided to stay home. Tuesday hadn't started and it was already a wreck.