Loose Ends

Chapter 25: Finding a New Dream

Adrian was still pondering her conversation with Ricky from two days ago and wanted to talk to Grace about it. She called her friend but her phone went to voicemail. Guess she's busy at camp. She left a message instead.

"Hey, Grace. So Ricky and I sat down and talked Wednesday night and I wanna run some things by you. Call me back when you've got some time to talk." Adrian went downstairs to make herself some breakfast and found her dad at the table eating his.

"Morning, Adrian. How'd you sleep?"

"Okay." She knew he'd heard parts of her conversation with Ricky but he hadn't brought it up so she wasn't going to.

"What are your plans for today?"

"I need to run to the store for some things and then I'll probably just hang around the house and watch TV or something."

"Drive safely." Adrian rolled her eyes but nodded anyway to appease her father. He kissed the top of her head before heading out the door. Adrian made herself a ham and cheese omelet and poured herself a glass of orange juice for breakfast, making sure to take her prenatal vitamins before eating her meal. When she finished she didn't feel like going to the store just yet so she watched TV until her stomach told her it was lunch time. She felt tired after finishing her salad and BLT sandwich so she set her cellphone alarm and took a nap for a couple of hours. As she slept she dreamed that she and Ricky were living in a cute little two-story house with their son and they were all happy. Adrian slept through her alarm and woke up shortly after 5:00. She quickly got herself ready to go to the store and grabbed an apple on her way out the door. She arrived at Safeway within a few minutes and grabbed a small basket, intending to be in and out in a few minutes. Little did she know that her intentions were about to be sidetracked by a toddler and a kind older woman.

Amy had gotten off work earlier than usual because she needed to go to the store and pick up some things for John and herself. She pulled into Safeway minutes after Adrian and parked but didn't see her. She put John into the seat of a basket and began her shopping. As fate would have it, Ricky and Ben both also had things to pick up at Safeway that evening. Ben, like Adrian, was only there for a few items while Ricky, like Amy, had a few more items to pick up. Amy had turned up the juice aisle and stopped to check her list at the same moment that John looked up and saw Ricky walking behind Amy, his eyes focused on his own shopping list.

"Dada!" John cried out, causing Amy to look at her son and then turn around to see who he was calling out to just as Ricky's head swiveled in the direction of his son's voice. He and Amy locked eyes and smiled. Unbeknown to them, Adrian was halfway up juice aisle, having come down it from the other end of the aisle and was frozen in her tracks at the sight of Ricky smiling at Amy. Ben had just turned down the aisle as well and was likewise frozen in place.

"Dada!" John said again with a smile. Ricky walked up to his son and placed a kiss on his head.

"Hey, buddy. Are you being a good boy for mommy?" John nodded, still smiling. Amy just smiled at her happy little boy interacting with his father. Ricky turned to face Amy.

"Hey, Amy."

"Hey."

"You need any help?" he asked, motioning to her list.

"I think I got it. Besides, you've obviously got your own shopping to do and I don't wanna keep you."

"I don't mind helping, Amy" he said with a genuine smile. "Besides, I know it's challenging juggling groceries and a toddler."

"Okay, thanks," Amy replied with a genuine smile of her own. She handed him her list just as an older woman came up the aisle. She turned in their direction when she heard John giggle.