Ellie steps into the frozen aisle and is immediately hit with:
the bright, buzzing lights169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40uSQC7hKa
the cold air blasting her face169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevpyk9Z2Lb
the endless rows of waffles169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqkBcFEQID
the prices169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIE77DPD6xs
the brands169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJZvu4lID8
the choices169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnKHKgQ1Ds
the people walking behind her169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OXnzOgyB7
the fear she's standing weird169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsyn0tiqYV
the thought: "Do I look normal holding this basket?"
She picks up a box of waffles.
Puts it back.
Picks up another.
Puts it back.
Checks the price.
Winces.
Checks the cheaper one.
Winces harder because it looks... suspicious.
"Why are there twelve kinds of waffles. Who needs this many waffles."
A mom with a toddler walks by.
Ellie panics like she's been caught doing something illegal.
She ends up leaving the aisle with nothing.
She texts the group chat:169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1GfzmBLAA
"Where am i"
***
Zadie is thriving in the cereal aisle.
She's talking to a kid in a dinosaur hoodie.
"Rawr means 'I love snacks' in dinosaur," she explains.
The kid roars back.
Zadie knocks over a display of granola bars.
She gasps dramatically.
"Who did this?"
She starts grabbing cereal boxes based solely on the mascots.
Her basket is now 80% sugar.
She texts the group chat:169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFH7To6GmbC
"should we get popsicles"
Ana:169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyqt0nzGMR
"no"
Zadie:169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8HV4JZzVP
"too late"
***
Ana is in the produce section squeezing avocados like she's judging a competition.
She mutters under her breath.
"Why does no one know how to shop?"
She puts things back in the correct place.
She has exactly three items in her basket because she rejects everything that doesn't meet her standards.
***
Ruth is in her natural habitat in the bulk aisle.
She fills bags with perfect precision.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofHGFJ5U6K
She compares unit prices like she's solving a puzzle.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKK7dgBLBz
She judges everyone else's carts silently.
She texts her husband, Daniel:169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJPm3HhVHN
"Theyre already falling apart"
Daniel:169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfGGjvLnY5
"stay strong babe"
She nods like she's on a mission.
***
They regroup at the produce.
It's a disaster.
Zadie's cart is overflowing with nonsense.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4xVMprEmL
Ana has three items.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYX58Dg0X7
Ruth has a perfectly curated basket.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreQ89ZfNyG
Ellie has... nothing.
Ana looks at Ellie gently.
"Where's the frozen stuff?"
Ellie shrinks a little.
"I... didn't like any of the vibes."
Zadie proudly holds up a cereal box with a cartoon tiger.
"Look at all the cereal I got!"
Ruth closes her eyes like she's praying for patience.
"Lord give me strength."
Ana gives Ellie a look — not judgment, just quiet understanding.
Ellie looks away.
***
The conveyor belt is a disaster.
Zadie's cereal mountain.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobXiLN4arr
Ana's three perfect produce items.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoOL2cHj7V
Ruth's bulk‑food precision bags.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbMt7XfsPT
Ellie's... nothing.
Ellie stands between them, trying to look normal, trying to breathe normally, trying not to think about her bank account.
The cashier starts scanning.
Beep.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0qWdFm4qa
Beep.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUn5nZrOva8
Beep.
Each beep feels like a countdown.
Zadie is distracted, poking at the impulse‑buy candy.
"Oooh, mystery gummies."
Ana is reorganizing the groceries on the belt because the cashier "isn't doing it right."
Ruth is watching the total climb with the expression of a woman who has seen this exact disaster before.
Ellie swallows hard.
The total flashes on the screen.
It's too high.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44kwubStmj
Way too high.
The cashier looks up.
"Debit or credit?"
Ellie forces a smile.
"Debit."
She inserts her card.
The machine thinks.
And thinks.
And thinks.
Then:
DECLINED.
Ellie's stomach drops.
She tries again, pretending it was a fluke.
DECLINED.
Zadie doesn't notice.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEj01ouzgV0
Ana notices everything.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeERS6xd7PE
Ruth notices even more.
Ellie laughs — too high, too quick.
"Oh—haha, that's weird. I'll just... try again."
Ana steps closer, voice low.
"Ellie."
Ellie shakes her head fast.
"No, it's fine. It's fine. I've got it."
She doesn't.
Ruth gives her a look — not pity, not judgment, just that "we'll talk later" auntie stare.
Zadie finally turns around.
"Are we dying? What's happening?"
Ellie forces a smile so bright it's almost painful.
"Nothing! Everything's fine!"
Ana gently puts a hand on Ellie's wrist.
"Let me."
Ellie freezes.
"No—no, I can—"
"Ellie."
Just her name.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVPXniyhs0
Steady.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwcUgOXef1
Kind.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoE1Y5BoQL
Unshakeable.
Ellie's shoulders drop.
Ana pays.
Zadie shrugs like this is normal.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sl1eF8row
Ruth sighs like she expected it.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj07dRvxdU7
Ellie stares at the floor, cheeks burning.
"Thank you."
Ana doesn't make it a big deal.
"Let's go."
They gather the bags.
Ellie grabs the receipt like it's evidence of her failure.
***
They sit on the curb outside the grocery store, eating snacks straight from the bags.
Zadie is animatedly telling a story about the daycare kids, waving a juice box like she's conducting an orchestra.
"And then he bit me! With his teeth! Like a tiny, adorable vampire!"
Ana is reorganizing the grocery bags because "gravity is not your friend if you pack like this."
Ruth is telling a story about her husband, shaking her head with that fond exasperation she reserves only for him.
Ellie sits between them, legs stretched out, sun warm on her face.
For a moment, she's quiet — not spiraling, not shrinking, not worrying about the receipt or the money or the frozen aisle or anything else.
Just... here.
With them.
Zadie's laugh rings out.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yqVTX2lXz
Ana nudges her shoulder gently.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3Se4Km340
Ruth hands her a snack without asking if she wants one.
Ellie looks at all of them — really looks — and something soft settles in her chest.
"...I like this."
Ana glances over, catching the tone even if she doesn't hear the words.
She bumps Ellie's knee with her own.
"Good."
Zadie throws an arm around both of them.
"We should do this every week!"
"Absolutely not." Ana, Ruth, and Ellie speak in unison.
Ellie laughs — bright, unguarded, real.
The receipt is forgotten.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj79piSOik
The anxiety is quiet.169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1ricALzg1
The moment is enough.
169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9VLt7WyUE
169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwA74YQ3du
169Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrChGvGXf3
and then Add to home screen.