Baby Blue

I’d seen the signs of the snow storm coming home from work earlier that day. I’d grabbed a burger and fries at McDonalds and headed home. Something told me I should park my truck on the side of the street in front of my house just in case the storm got worse. I’d been listening to the radio on the drive home and the news said it was going to be a doozy. I’t had been a busy week. I‘d been living on fast food, too tired to shop after a full day of work. There was no food in the refrigerator and I didn‘t know if any stores were still open. I was afraid I wouldn‘t have enough supplies to last out the storm. I looked out the window and saw the snowflakes were getting bigger and falling faster. Even though it was already getting dark outside I decided to make a quick trip to the store. It was only half a mile away. Bundling up I threw on my jeans and sweatshirt under my snow parka. I couldn’t find my mittens. I had to hurry. Time was of the essence. I grabbed the keys to my truck, saying a prayer for safety, as I turned on the ignition. Driving this late to the store in a snowstorm was not the best decision I’d ever made. I arrived safely parking as close as I could to the front door grateful that I’d made it in time. The lights were still on and I saw a couple of people inside. I got out of the truck just as a sharp wind hit my face. I pulled my parka‘s hoodie over my head and ran for the door. Brrrrr. It was cold outside! I noticed right away many of the shelves were bare. Most people had come earlier to stock up and there wasn’t a lot left. Only one checker stand was still open. As I was grabbing my shopping cart I heard the announcement, “The store will be closing in 15 minutes due to the storm.” I looked around prioritizing in my mind what I needed to get through the storm. I was out of everything. I needed food and I was completely out of toilet paper. I knew I’d be lucky if I found any left. As I suspected the TP isle was bare. I decided to go look in the back of the store where they kept the unpacked supplies to see if I could find any. I ran down towards the back pushing my cart through swinging doors to where they kept the unopened crates and boxes still waiting to be stocked on the shelf. I saw unopened boxes scattered around so I’d have to look for what I needed. Most of the boxes weren’t opened. This was going to be hard. I wasn‘t the type to carry a pin knife to help me open the boxes and I cursed myself for my lack of foresight. I went further into the back of the room. I saw a box that said Handy Tissues sitting on top of a couple of other boxes. I thought I may as well grab them. I didn’t have much time and I still needed to get some food. I struggled to open the box. But my arms and hands weren’t strong enough to tear through the thick cardboard. I needed to find something sharp. Looking to my left I saw an old wooden desk against the wall with a pair of scissors on it. Yes! Just as I was reaching for the scissors all the lights went out. It was pitch black. I couldn’t see a thing. “Oh great”, I thought, “Now what am I going to do?” I stumbled around in the dark and I managed to find my cart. I didn’t have the best balance in the dark and holding onto the cart made me feel more secure. I remembered the doors being close to the wall on my left coming in. There hadn’t been any boxes against the wall by the door. I carefully pushed the cart towards the direction where I thought the wall may be. I kept bumping into boxes feeling my way around them. Cautiously stepping slowly in the dark I felt the cart bump the wall. I put one hand on the smooth surface of the wall and the other on on the cart to steady myself. I moved along the wall hoping I was heading in the right direction towards the door opening. After what seemed like forever, I found the opening of the door. I pushed the cart through the swinging panels and was finally back in the store. What a relief! Now I needed to remember the layout of the store so I could find the front and get out. I called out for help but no one answered. I sensed I was in trouble but tried not to panic. ”I can do this” I kept repeating in my head. I inched along until I bumped into what felt like the end of an aile. I moved the cart around the barrier and found a store shelf filled with what felt like boxes of cereal to my right. Staying close to the shelf, so I could still feel it on my right side, I guided my cart towards the front of the store. I felt I was making good progress when the cart wheels hit something soft on the floor and stopped moving. I heard a little squeal. “What is that?” It sounded as if it were alive. I was scared. What if it were a rat? I hated rats and was terrified to reach towards it. The soft object started to make more sounds, soft whimpers, little smacking noises and then a full out cry. It was a baby! OMG! There was a baby lying on the floor of the supermarket in front of my cart. It was so unreal. How could a baby be lying on the floor of an empty supermarket during a snowstorm? This was unbelievable. What was I going to do? I thought about it and took off my parka. I laid the parka in the center of the cart smoothing it out on all sides making a makeshift crib. I gingerly worked myself around the cart being very careful not to step on anything soft. As I got closer to the end of the cart I could smell something. The baby needed a diaper change. Oh dear. I held onto the side of the cart and reached down to the floor trying to feel for the little bundle. It was whimpering softly. “Poor little thing“, I thought, “It must be terrified and cold.” Who would leave a baby on the floor of the supermarket in the middle of a snowstorm? It was crazy! I felt the edge of a soft blanket and a little wiggling body under it. I held onto the cart with one hand for support but with the other I gently explored what direction the baby was laying in so I could safely pick it up. I felt it’s little leg, then it’s belly and finally a little drool on its tiny face. I felt it’s nose and the direction and size of its head. The baby let me touch it without crying. It seemed to be swaddled in a soft blanket. Once I had figured out the size of the little thing I let go of the cart and blindly reached out towards it in the dark with both hands to pick it up slowly and carefully, making sure to support it’s neck and head. It was so small and quite light. I stood up with the baby safely in my arms carefully transferring it to the waiting cart crib. Mission accomplished! The baby was safe. I put its head towards the front end of the cart so I could easily reach it. I couldn’t see a thing. I knew this little one was probably hungry, scared and was in dire need of a diaper change. What was I going to do? The baby started whimpering again and began to let out soft cries. “There, there sweet one” I comforted it. I didn’t know if it was a boy or girl. I had felt it’s head with my fingertips and there was a little tuft of hair on the front but it was mostly bald. “Don’t worry Sweety. You’re going to be fine. You are safe”. I gently moved the cart back and forth to rock the baby as I tried to think of what we were going to do. ”Stay calm”, I thought to myself. I started to pray to God. “Please God, send us help. Send us some angels to guide us”. The baby started to full out cry. “Oh no”, I thought. I comforted it by singing ’Soft Kitty’ but changing the word ‘kitty’ to baby. “Soft baby, little baby, little ball of fur. Sleepy baby, sweety baby, purr, purr, purr.” My singing didn’t seem to help much and the poor little thing kept crying. I had to find a solution and fast! I told the baby it was going to be ok. I softly stroked it‘s cheek with my hand. I thought if I moved the cart it may soothe the baby like I did for my children when they were babies by giving them rides in the car until they fell asleep. I thought if I kept moving the cart towards the front door I may be able to get some help. If only it wasn’t so dark! I fixed the parka around the baby so it wouldn’t be cold and began to walk forward down the aisle mindful of my precious cargo. I continued to stay close to the right side of the aisle to help me maneuver in a straight line. I knew the layout of the store and I knew I was walking away from the back of the store and logically would eventually reach the front of the store, I hoped. The walking movement seemed to soothe the baby and I was grateful that it’s crying was calming down to a softer whimper. I kept telling myself to just breathe and not panic. I spoke outloud to both of us. “Don’t worry, it’s going to be OK, everything is going to be ok.” I didn’t know what time it was but I knew eventually it would have to grow light out in the morning. I must‘t panic. Inching us along I softly sang to the baby. It was really a strange situation and I began to see the humor of it all. I could just see the headlines in the paper: ‘Local woman finds baby in the supermarket during snowpocolipse snow storm of the year.’ Good grief, what a strange life I led. Who knew this would ever happen to me? Suddenly the lights went on. Hallelujah! My prayers had been answered. My first line of duty was to find the diaper aisle. I looked at my little bundle of love for the first time. She was wrapped in a pink fluffy blanket. Her eyes were a beautiful sky blue and her little whiff of hair was dark brown. She had the most beautiful little rosebud lips I’d ever seen. I decided to call her Rosey that very minute. And the first call of duty for Miss Rosey was to find some diapers to make her more comfortable. She looked about 2-3 months old. She was so tiny and sweet. As she blinked her baby blues at me I noticed she had long curly brown eye lashes. She was beautiful. I’d found a little angel. I had no grandchildren of my own. My children had grown up but unfortunately my two daughters had not been able to conceive and my son was still a happy bachelor at 39. I was falling in love with baby Rosey and decided I was going to be her Grandma right then and there. God had sent me a little angel to love and spoil. But first the diapers. I found the diaper aisle and diaper wipes without any trouble and my little miss was quickly changed and comfortable in a manner of a few minutes. She had on a white baby bag pajama that kept her warm as well as her fuzzy pink blanket. She was adorable and was smelling sweet as a rose as well. Second order of business was a bottle. The lights were on, but who knew for how long? So I filled up the child’s seat of the shopping cart with everything I thought Rosey might need. Bottle, formula, soft baby food, diapers, wipes, etc. I thought I should get some candles and some matches just in case. I was able to find plastic spoons, bowls and napkins in the same aisle. I‘d also found some soft pillows and blankets in the home decor section and I stuffed them under the cart. I felt my stomach grumble and realized how hungry I was. I went straight to the candy aisle and picked up some chocolate bars, dark chocolate, of course. Then I decided I needed something healthy so I picked up orange juice, yogurt, crackers and peanut butter. I turned around and headed for the produce and was just reaching for some bananas when the lights went out again. “Shoot”, I grumbled. The flower department near the produce section so I decided to fix up a little nest for Rosie and me next to the sweet smell of, you guessed it, roses. I pulled out the candles and finally got them lit after striking the matches several times. Why I just didn’t get lighters I’ll never know. When I had a candle lit I looked for a little saucer in the flower section and sure enough they had small plant saucers. I lit several candles attaching them to the plates with dripping wax and placed them on the flower top counter where the baby couldn’t kick them over. I then took the blankets and pillows out from under the cart and made a cozy little nest on the floor for Rosey and me. I put a couple of pillows against the wall to help support my back. I laid my candy and food supplies on the blanket. Last but not least I took the shopping cart with little Rosie still laying on the soft parka to the bathroom to prepare a bottle of formula for her. I had no safe way to warm it up. But my sweetie didn’t seem to mind. She was quite hungry and gulped down her milk greedily as she stared into my eyes with her big beautiful eyes. She was so amazing. I was completely taken by her and I swore I would love her forever. We returned to our little candle lit garden nest and I picked her up out of the cart and held her in my lap as I ate a banana and unwrapped one of my chocolate bars. Little Rosie was clean, fed and content. I gazed at her loveliness as her little eyes slowly began to fall asleep. I rocked her and sang to her between bites of yogurt. We were quite content. When Rosie fell fast asleep I gently put her back in the cart crib arranging the parka in a cozy fashion so she could sleep safely protected off of the floor. Rosie and I dosed off comfortably fed and tired. Although I did keep one eye open through the rest of the night just to make sure she was safe. I must have dozed completely off because the next thing I knew I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. It was a fire medic. “Are you OK, mam?”, he asked with genuine concern in his eyes. “Why yes I am”, I answered sleepily. I looked over at Rosie still fast asleep in her little makeshift nest I’d made for her. “Looks like you’ve found yourself a little angel,” he smiled at me. “I sure have officer”, I smiled back. It was time to go. He picked up my little ward and cuddled her safely. She let out a morning cry. “Looks like someone is awake”. We both got busy. I took her to the restroom and changed her diapers and prepared another bottle of formula. She was so cooperative. She looked at me with trusting eyes as if to say, “I love you Grandma”. I loved her too. The medic took her to the hospital and they gave her a clean bill of health. She was taken by nurses to a foster home. They spoke to me and assured me I’d be made aware of every decision for her care. I let them know I wanted to be first in line to adopt her if that was possible. I visited her everyday for six months. They searched and searched for her parents but no one ever came to claim her. I asked the court to be her grandmother. And after the long wait she legally became my granddaughter, Rosie Angelica. I’ve never felt so blessed in all my life. At last I had the sweetest most adorable grandbaby in the world. My little angel Rosie. I am the happiest grandma in the world. We became a little famous when the news and TV told the story of how we met each other. People were so touched by the story they donated a beautiful antique crib and bedroom set, including clothing and all the needs any little girl could ever want. I am forever grateful for the miracle of that snowy night. We are together now and there will never be two more happier souls on the face of the earth. She is truly a blessing and I will love her forever. Adopting little Rosie was the best decision I’ve ever made.