Supermarket

Rose shifted her basket from one hand to the other as the grocery line shuffled forward. Over the intermittent beeps and muffled chatter, a cheerful Christmas tune played faintly. She hummed along as she went over a list in her head one last time. Eggs, cinnamon, fried onion crisps….Absently, she flipped up the collar of her wool coat. Ever since she’d cut her hair short, her neck always felt so bare and cold. It was just one thing she’d have to get used to.

As she approached the register, she arranged her items on the belt, all of them requested by her mother in preparation for the holidays. It was just like her mother to send her on an errand first thing upon returning to the country. Rose only pretended to mind, though.

“Hi, how are you?” the cashier asked as the line moved up again. She looked up, wallet in hand, only to stop short at the sight of him.

His head was bent over the register, keying something in. A chunk of black hair fell into his face, and she knew before she saw that his left hand would move to sweep it back. When he realized she still hadn’t answered, he finally met her gaze, and the shock freezing his features surely mirrored her own.

“Hi, Sam,” she said lamely.

For a moment he looked like he was seeing a ghost; then his face broke into a grin. “Rose! Hey!”

She returned with a tentative smile of her own.

“What are you doing here?” Sam asked, and Rose wasn’t sure if she imagined the hopefulness in his tone. “I thought you were in London.”

“Buying groceries?” She replied in a failed attempt at humor. Then she cleared her throat. “Um, yeah. I’m back for winter break.”

“So you’re heading back soon, then?” His gaze flicked back down to the register for a moment before the smile returned to his face. “Well, it’s nice to see you again.”

She nodded earnestly. “It’s been a while.”

“You look different. Not in a bad way or anything!” he added quickly, his face flushing. “I just meant you look older. Wait, no, I didn’t--”

“It’s okay. I know what you mean,” she interrupted with a laugh. Tilting her head, she studied the familiar lines of his face. “And you look exactly the same.”

“Really? I thought I got taller.”

She stood on her tiptoes and frowned up at him. “Not really.”

He laughed, and for a moment it was as if no time had passed at all. “You look good, though,” he said, so quietly she could barely hear him over the background clamor, and the words caught her off guard. “Seems like London has been good for you.”

“You think so?” Rose murmured. Something tugged at her chest. Suddenly, she felt compelled to ask, “How’s Evelyn? Are you two still together?”

The question appeared to startle him. “What? Oh. No, we weren’t...we were never like that.”

“...Oh. I see.”

“Yeah.” Sam flipped over a loaf of bread in his hands, looking very carefully for the barcode.

Rose fell silent for a moment, her mind stumbling over those words over and over again. Never? Then that meant...

“I haven’t really been dating anyone,” he continued when she didn’t respond. “I guess I’m too busy focusing on my dad to think about it. Except he keeps complaining that women don’t like me.”

“How is your dad, by the way?” she asked, her voice softening. Why hadn’t she asked that first? Stupid.

Sam’s face lit up, and he stood a little taller. “He’s doing really well! He’s been going to physical therapy, and he can walk a little on good days.”

“Really? That’s great!” Rose beamed. “Will you tell him I said hi?”

“Of course.” He paused for a moment, as if contemplating whatever he was about to say. “What about you? I mean, are you seeing anyone?”

She blinked in surprise. Damn it. Why’d he have to go and flip this on her? “Um. No, actually.”

“Why not?” he said, raising his eyebrows. “I’m sure you have a whole queue of English boys wrapped around your finger.”

“What do you mean, why?” she huffed. “Do I have to have a reason?”

“So you don’t have one, then?”

"Well. I didn't say that." Sighing, she leaned over the counter and gave him a serious look. “Do you really want to know?”

He paused in his ringing and watched her expectantly.

She let the question hang in the air for a long moment before backing away with a shrug. “I’m too busy studying to have a boyfriend. That's all. And anyways, I do not have anyone 'wrapped around my finger,’“ she insisted. “I don't know where you got that from."

The corners of his mouth lifted in an unreadable expression. "You really have no idea?"

“Hey! Are you going to do your job?” the woman behind her cut in. “Stop holding up the line.”

“Sorry!” Sam dipped his head in apology. 

Rose frowned and did her best to resist the strong impulse to roll her eyes. “Why didn’t she go to the express lane?” she muttered.

His eyes widened. “Rose! She’s going to hear you.”

“Good.”

Their banter had made it easy enough to forget the months that had passed. But as he finished up the transaction, she figured it was about time she remembered where she was.

“Sam,” she began. “I’m really glad I met you here before I left.”

She saw the moment his face changed, like a morning glory closing up at sunset. “When is your flight back?”

“January 5th. In two weeks,” she replied.

He looked like he might add something else, but no words came. While she gathered up her bags, she felt like she was waiting for something, although she didn’t know what. Whatever it was, the time for waiting was over.

Too late, he took a deep breath. “Hey, Rose--”

“Could you move any slower?” the woman snapped.

“Sorry. I’m going now,” Rose said shortly, turning away.

“I have kids at home who are waiting to be fed!"

“I’ll be right with you. Just give me one minute, please.” Ignoring the woman’s heated protests, he darted around the register and grabbed Rose’s hand before she could make her escape. “Wait. Rose. Can I see you again before you leave?”

The candor in his statement was enough to stop her in her tracks. She lifted her chin and looked him in the eyes, stern despite her pattering pulse. "Why?"

Nervousness and a little bit of amusement peered back at her. “I think you know why.”

She knew what the realistic answer would be. It rolled around in her head, slow enough to catch if she wanted to.

Drawing back her hand, she danced just outside of his reach. “New Year’s Eve.”

“What?”

“I’ll see you then." With that she whirled around, only catching the barest glimpse of the smile on his face before she was gone.