The door swished shut behind them, leaving nothing but the echo of what had just happened.
I stood there for a moment, my hands still resting on the counter, feeling the tension slowly drain out of the room. People started moving again, the store coming back to life, but there was this lingering unease in the air, like we’d all just witnessed something we weren’t quite sure how to process.
Linda, my manager, appeared by my side, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder. “You okay?” she asked, her voice low, meant just for me.
I nodded, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just… wasn’t expecting that.”
“Handled it like a pro,” she said with a small smile, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before heading back to her post.
I returned to my work, picking up the next item to scan, but my mind was still on Martha and Tommy. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of conversation they’d be having in the car right now.
Would she brush it off, pretend like nothing happened, or would she actually talk to him, maybe even apologize to him in a way she couldn’t bring herself to do in the store?
I hoped, as I bagged the next customer’s groceries, that Tommy would remember what he saw today.
Even if his mother didn’t.
Maybe he’d grow up understanding that it’s okay to admit when you’re wrong, and that saying sorry doesn’t make you weak.
And maybe that small act of courage in the store today would be something he carried with him, long after the memory of the apples had faded.
