Life After You

Peaches

"We're so glad to have you on our team, Daniel. I hope that you find yourself at home here," The man in the black suit told me as he reached out to shake my hand.

I nodded as I plastered a fake smile on my face. I didn't want to be here, but I had to make money somehow. Plus not working for a while really put a damper on my social skills.

Luckily, Gracie got me a job as a cashier at her store. Seeing her always hurt me, because she brung me back to a place I didn't want to be. So I made it my mission to come here while she was working. Even though it pained me, it was a step in the right direction, even if it was still in my comfort zone.

"I'll see you Monday," He told me with a friendly smile as he pulled his arm back to his side. "Bye now."

I nodded and shoved my hands into my pockets as we parted ways. I didn't ever in my life think that I would be working in retail again, but it was my only option. It was funny how wrong it felt to make any life decisions without Ollie.

I walked around the store aimlessly as I found myself getting lost in my thoughts. Eventually I grabbed a cart, thinking I might as well buy my groceries while I was here. I wondered what working here would be like. Would I hate it? I never was one for talking to strangers, that was more Ollies thing.

I'm sure that I would get used to it some day, but for now I would just do my best. I wished that Ollie was here to help me through this, like he used to do before. Suddenly a gasp broke me free from my thoughts; while day dreaming I guess I had accidentally crashed my cart into the back of a man standing in front of me.

"Oh gosh, i'm so sorry," I quickly apologized as the dark haired man in front of me turned around.

"No worries," He replied with a wide smile, picking up the last remaining box of peaches from the display.

I felt my body tense as I watched him tuck it under his arm. I knew that I would never eat them all, but I needed to have them. They were for Ollie, and I couldnt sleep at night if I didnt have them waiting for him in the fridge.

What was I to do now? Get them from a different store? No, I had to have those peaches. They were his favourite.

I tightened my grip on the cart as he waved me goodbye. I bit my lip tightly as I tried to keep my frustrations inside. It wasn't worth chasing after someone for peaches, that was ridiculous. Especially when they were just going to go to waste in my fridge anyways.

But it was almost impossible to ignore the intrusive thoughts in my head as I watched him walk away with a piece of me. I cursed under my breath as I closed my eyes tightly. Ollie always said I should talk to people more, I guess it was now or never Howell.

"Wait," I called as I jogged over to him, leaving my cart alone in the isle.

He paused and quickly turned to look back at me. Right away I noticed his piercing blue eyes fill with panic, "Did I do something wrong?"

I chuckled awkwardly as I stopped a few feet away from him. What was I to do now? I didn't know this guy, and I defiantly didnt know how to stick up for myself.

"N-no. I just- im sorry for bothering you, but do you think I could have those?" I asked as I nodded towards the box in his arms.

He looked down at the peaches for a moment and then looked back over at me, a small smile on his face. I stared back at him silently as he ran his free hand through his black quiff.

"I'm really sorry for bothering you. It's just my boyfriend, h-he really loved-" I stumbled over my words carefully.

He held out the box towards me and shook his head, "Hey no worries. They're my favourite too."

"Y-you like them?" I asked softly as I took the box from his hands carefully.

He let out a small giggle. I smiled as I watched the happiness emit from this man. What was he so happy about anyways?

"Yes of course I do. Why else would I buy them?" He replied and pushed his hands into his pockets. "Do you not like them?"

"Would you like a few of them?" I blurted out as my mind overflowed with thoughts.

He rose an eyebrow at my foolish invitation, "You're offering me some?"

"I'm not going to eat them," I breathed with a small shrug.

"What about your boyfriend?" He asked as he joined me.

We walked back to my cart, where I put the box of peaches inside, "H-he's not really around."

"Oh i'm sorry. I'm sure he'll come around soon," he reassured me.

I could tell that he pitied me now, probably thinking that my boyfriend was off messing around with someone else. How could I just casually tell him that my boyfriend died in a car crash over a year ago? Surely he would think I was pathetic for still buying food for him, especially when I wasnt even going to eat it.

"Yeah. Thanks," I mumbled as I leaned against my cart.

He followed me around the grocerey store like a lost puppy after that. Grabbing random things off the shelves and putting them inside of my cart.

"That's for midnight," he told me as he placed a box cookies in the cart.

I couldn't help but let out a muffled chuckle as he kept piling things inside without my permission. I admired his optimisum, though I wondered why he stuck around me even though he didn't know me.

"Is the peach offer still open?" He asked as we approached the check out lanes.

I looked down at his items in the cart and back up to him. I hadn't had any company in what felt like forever, always pushing myself away from anybody who got to close.

Honestly, I never thought I would be able to ever smile so effortlessly again. But one hour in a grocery store with a random stranger seemed to temporarily heal my misery. Why was it that he reminded me so much of Ollie?

"Yes I need them gone," I smiled as I helped load up his things onto the conveyor belt. "Please?"

He smiled back at me happily. Even though he had no idea why I was buying these for my 'boyfriend' who was never around, he accepted my offer without hesitation.

I think that sometimes, good company is therapeutic. Even if it's a stranger in the grocery store piling things into your cart.