A Twisted Fate by Kristine Endsley

Author:Kristine Endsley [Endsley, Kristine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: KE Fantasy
Published: 2024-02-04T00:00:00+00:00

15

Ray picked flats—pink, of course. Shiny Mary Janes with a bow. Not winter appropriate, but I didn’t care. She pushed her two boxes of shoes up on the counter, one empty and one with unicorn sneakers.

Payless in the Westlake Center had a BOGO sale going on. Ray twirled around the store in her own little world, wearing her new Mary Janes. The lady behind the register checked the sizes of the sneakers and rang them up.

“Forty-one twenty-two.”

My hand shook, but with concentration, I swiped the card. Nothing happened. The associate said something, and I swiped again.

“Ma’am? Ma’am?” The lady stopped me from trying a third time, her fingers covering my card. “That’s your Costco card, ma’am.”

Between her fingers and mine, I noticed the familiar black, red, and gold. That was my Costco card.

“Sorry, I…” I had to pause and think. "It’s been—I had a horribly bad weekend.”

“It’s fine, ma’am,” she said slowly, enunciating her words, as if treating me like I didn’t know English would calm me down.

“Tatie!” Ray’s high voice startled me. “Can I buy this bag? It’s like Mommy’s.”

“Non, colombe. You have bags at home.”

Ray ran over and grabbed the shopping bag from me. Whatever, they were her shoes. Once we were out of the store, I stopped and looked back. Now I realized why the lady had enunciated her words—I’d spoken in French half the time in there.

“Are you still hungry?”

Ray tugged on my arm. “Yessssss,” she hissed.

“Let’s go find some food, ’kay?”

Ray swung her bag, then my arm. “Thank you for the shoes.”

“You’re welcome, dove.”

We made our way to the food court after buying a coffee, a cookie, and cocoa. Cash, no card mishaps that time. I forgot to add cream or sugar, but then figured the black coffee would settle my shaking hands and nerves.

“Okay, what do you want to eat?” I asked when we got to the center of the crowded food court.

“Can I go play?” Ray asked, jumping and shaking cookie crumbs all over her coat and the floor.

“I thought you were hungry.”

“Nope.” She shoved her cookie up as close to my face as she could, which was at my shoulder.

“Fine.” I scanned the sea of small tables and people, searching for an empty and clean one. One four-seater table a short distance from the play area sat vacant. “Run to that table there before someone gets it.”

Ray bolted and flew into a seat on her tummy. How that didn’t hurt kids was a mystery to me. “Can I go now?” she asked when I made it to the table.

Instead of answering her right away, I slid the shopping bag onto the table and slipped into my seat, all while watching her fidget in the chair. Only when I got settled and took a sip of coffee did I answer. “Eat the cookie and you can play.”

She looked at the cookie. “I don’t want it.”

“Child, you are almost done with the thing.”

Ray shoved it into her mouth. Her little eyes went wide after realizing she couldn’t chew that large a bite.

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