Love, Volume 1

Two kids rush into a comic book store just ahead of an older man. They start touching toys and picking up comics. There are shelves lining the walls full of the latest comics from big and independent publishers. Trade paperbacks line the back wall. In the center of the store, there are pinball and arcade machines and racks full of toys and memorabilia. 

"Don't touch, kiddos,” the pudgy older man says as he enters just after the kids.. 

"Grandpa," the little girl says. "Is this a toy store?"

"It'a book store, stupid," her brother says as he runs over to a pinball machine. 

The old man paused to look around the store. Taking in the posters announcing new releases. 

"It's a comic book store, loves. I used to come here when I with your grandmother all the time. And, Fisher," Grandpa says to the boy. "Call your sister stupid again, and she'll be picking out your comic today."

"Aw, Grandpa!"

A man enters from the back of the store. He's a tall, aging man with a head full of wild white hair. He's a stark contrast to the plump, round, balding grandpa. His eyes light at seeing customers, and crinkle at the corners when they land on Grandpa. 

"Henry!" What a surprise. I haven't seen you in too long. How have you been?"

"I've been well, George. Thank you. How's business?"

"Can't complain. We've had a resurgence with all the new movies out. Kids love to bone up before the big ones. How’s Mattie?" 

George looks to the kids taking in the merchandise. Henry beams at them. 

"She’s fine. George, these are our grandkids. Fisher here is seven," he says tousling the boy's hair as he plays on the pinball machine. "He's looking to grow his collection. Annabelle is hoping to find her very first comic."

Henry went to Annabelle at a shelf and turned her to greet George. 

"Hello, sir. Nice to meet you. I'm five!"

George laughs. "Nice to meet you. Wow. You look so much like your mother."

"You know my mommy?" Annabelle asks excitedly. 

"Oh, yes. I've known your grandparents since they were in high school. As a matter of fact, I remember the very first time your grandfather came into the store." 

"George," Henry laughed. "Don't. They don’t’ want to hear that old sap story."

"What? Tell us." Fisher appeared at his grandfather's elbow, anxious for the story. 

"Well. Maybe I shouldn't." George looked to Henry for approval. After a sly wink to the kids, they turn to their grandfather with puppy dog eyes. Annabelle clasps her little hands beneath her chin and pouts. Grandpa rolls his eyes exasperated. 

"Oh, fine. But I'm taking this brand new Miles Morales Spider-Man, a couple more new indies, and sitting on the couch. If I happen to crease the spine out of embarrassment, it's your own fault."

George chuckled and propped a hip on the counter as the kids leaned in for the story.

“So one day your grandfather comes in and spends 45 minutes looking for the perfect comic. We looked at classics. We looked at Marvel, DC. We checked out female leads, male leads, team ups, major deaths, origin stories, everything. I was just about to lose hope when I get another customer. A young lady. She was so nervous. She, too, needed to find the perfect comic. I spent 30 minutes with her debating over the differences between Aquaman and Namor the Submariner, Doom Patrol and X-Men, and the Atom versus Ant-Man. I mean, this girl really new her stuff.” 

At the lost look on the children’s faces, George pauses. 

“Your grandfather hasn’t told you about Doom Patrol?”

The kids shook their heads. 

“The Atom?”

The kids look at one another. George looks to Henry to find him smiling over the latest issue of Excellence. Henry shrugs. 

“Never mind,” George went on. “This girl new her stuff. She was quiet but she new comics. Anyway, your grandpa made it to the front of the store with his selection. He’d chosen one of the newer comics. One I’d just been debating with the young lady. None of which we’d looked at before. Turned out,” George leaned in conspiratorily, “he was buying the comic for her!” 

Annabelle gasped. 

George smiled at her before going on. “You see, Christmas was just around the corner and your grandfather had had a crush on this girl for years. He’d figured out that she was into comics. So he came in to buy her one as a Christmas present.” 

The kids’ look at their grandfather with beaming, knowing smiles. 

George continues. “After he made his purchase and left, the young lady came to the front to buy her selection. A classic first issue. Also a Christmas present . . . For your grandfather.” 

Both kids looked to their grandfather for confirmation, but he sat staring at George. A stunned expression on his face, Grandpa put the comics aside. 

“She had a crush on grandpa?” The idea seemed foreign to Fisher. 

“Yep,” George confirmed. 

“Are you two going to pick anything? We still have to get to lunch at DND if we want dessert from Mabel’s.” Grandpa joined them at the counter.

The kids rushed around the store looking for their perfect comic, asking George for suggestions based on books and TV shows they liked. Grandpa watched in a daze as George directed the next generation of superhero fans around the shop. 

As they exited the store, Fisher turned to Grandpa. 

“What comic did she buy you?”

“Who?”

“Grandma. Grandma knows all about comics. What comic did she get you that Christmas?”

“Actually. I never knew until today that my crush was shopping for me. When I left the shop that day, I went on another errand. For my mother. I went to the market. That’s where I met a girl who was new in town. She said she was upset to be starting at a new school in her senior year around the holidays. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I wanted nothing more than to cheer her up. So I gave her the comic. That girl was your grandmother. Neither of us had read a comic until that day.”