Ellie steps into the frozen aisle and is immediately hit with:
the bright, buzzing lights160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwyS1EWhN6
the cold air blasting her face160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxktoz23B3J
the endless rows of waffles160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppytq0U4cO
the prices160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3EKkaMNJW
the brands160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IAt8heFqU
the choices160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlw1lXXkbb
the people walking behind her160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4rQaejrQu
the fear she's standing weird160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6omNSImhZ
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:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAk6ax4fLy
"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:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfsYIUOCjq
"should we get popsicles"
Ana:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBgmHWzyz1
"no"
Zadie:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMBLQWk5Bv
"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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84ZctE01EX
She compares unit prices like she's solving a puzzle.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxejV7L7krK
She judges everyone else's carts silently.
She texts her husband, Daniel:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmJ42ZZWDk
"Theyre already falling apart"
Daniel:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFZFeCsMGv
"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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wedaP7quG
Ana has three items.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoJqr5dpF1
Ruth has a perfectly curated basket.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGvsZQ8hXE
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnm1cpqLkX
Ana's three perfect produce items.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL413UdxgB1
Ruth's bulk‑food precision bags.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwCoNJcLft
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgt87mZh0mD
Beep.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxp03XvbbeW
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVvrjth0cX
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cXSXGLrIL
Ana notices everything.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KjlE8L7eK
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMa6j4X2qz
Steady.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8zRe8rPxh
Kind.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZMFzpA5fa
Unshakeable.
Ellie's shoulders drop.
Ana pays.
Zadie shrugs like this is normal.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6MSqapGJZ
Ruth sighs like she expected it.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaMuhN0Hlq
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwWuQ86W4Y
Ana nudges her shoulder gently.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0gr94p4sf
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡro6YD2IgfR
The anxiety is quiet.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SdyCzZ9FP
The moment is enough.
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyGq9u345U
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcbJEninkU
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ568hFPXcQS
and then Add to home screen.