"Mama, can we get the cookies with the rainbow sprinkles?" Lily skips beside me as we enter the supermarket, her small hand warm in mine.
"We'll see, sweetheart. We need to get the important stuff first." I grab a cart, trying to shake off the lingering tension from yesterday's encounter with Virginia. The way she looked at me, like she was planning something—it still makes my skin crawl.
But today is about normal things. Groceries. Milk. Bread for the house since I can't bring myself to eat my own baking at home anymore. Simple, everyday tasks that don't involve confronting ghosts from my past.
"Can I push the cart?" Lily bounces on her toes, already reaching for the handle.
"Alright, but be careful. And stay close to me."
She nods solemnly, taking her job as cart-pusher very serious
