Dangerously Close (A Collection of Fictional Short Stories)

| Stuck |

He had left his six-year-old in his apartment and returning was a priority. He rushed through the aisles of his neighborhood grocery store, searching for Tylenol and cans of chicken noodle soup. And of all days, the checkout line was long with three people ahead of him. The frizzy haired man at the counter kept pointing to items he wanted stocked behind the glass wall. The cashier, a young Arabian man took his time collecting everything as if he had all day. Which he did. It was his store.

"Come on," James muttered.

It wasn't everyday he left Janeen in his two-bedroom apartment. This was his weekend to have her and after an adventurous rainy day at the zoo yesterday, she woke up this morning with a 102-degree temperature. He had a thermometer and cheese fish crackers, but no child medicine and soup. If his ex-wife knew about this, it would be another strike to the horde of reasons Avery would have to file for full custody.

And here I thought I was doing good.

He shook his head and fidgeted in the line, glancing out the glass door as if it would press the line to move faster.

"Please stay asleep," he whispered a prayer.

Janeen had crawled into his bed last night, shedding tears about a dream she had. They were together at the zoo and somehow, he fell into the lion's home and he couldn't get out. He was stuck, she cried, and the lion was coming, and she was all alone.

"I'm coming baby," he said when he finally reached the cashier.

"Did you find everything you needed?" he said.

"If I didn't, I would've asked for you," he said taking out his wallet. He pulled out a twenty and threw it on the counter. "Keep the change."

He grabbed his bag and almost ran down the street until he came across a police officer leaning on his car. He slowed into a half-walk, half- sprint, still catching the man's suspicious glance. See in this neighborhood, every store, business, and apartment complex were built to please the sights of tourists and businessmen and women of every age, race, and creed. But he had rushed out the apartment in a pair of jeans and a black hoodie over an undershirt that denounced him from a black American citizen to someone who could be up to no good.

Plus, if the officer decided to stop him, he'd have to explain how he needed to return home where he left his sick six-year-old alone. He couldn't take the risk. His place was only around the corner. James could literally see the twenty-floor complex over the stores ahead.

He gave the officer a kind smile and nod and tried to walk as normal as possible. When he finally was out of view, he pumped his acceleration. He dashed into the complex and headed for the elevators.

"Wait," he shouted as an elevator began to slide close.

He shoved his muscular arm between the doors, and it dinged and slid open.

"Sorry, guys," he said glancing down at the annoyed woman and man.

He went to press for the tenth floor and saw they too were going there and felt a bit relieved. He didn't have to wait for the elevator to make pit stops.

Please be still in bed, he prayed. I'm coming baby.

Janeen was a deep sleeper, something she acquired from his set of genes. But like him, when she's agitated and sick, sleep is almost impossible. By two in the morning, he'd managed to get her comfortable enough to fall into a snoring sleep. She stayed like that until he woke up at six feeling an unnatural heat and sweat rising from her body. That's when he made the anxious decision to run to the store. He left a note on her pillow and hoped if she did wake up, she'd take the time to read it.