Normal six-year-old stuff.
By the time we reached the checkout lanes, I was ready to head home.
That’s when we noticed the woman. She was standing directly in front of us.
She was probably in her late 60s, maybe early 70s. The woman had gray hair and a thin frame. There was nothing particularly memorable about her except for the tears she was trying very hard to hide.
The cashier scanned her groceries while the woman stared at the card reader.
Then the machine beeped. The cashier tried again, and there was another beep.
The woman swallowed hard as her card kept declining.
« I’m so sorry, » the woman said quietly. « I thought I had enough. »
The cashier gave her a sympathetic look.
« No worries. » She started setting the items aside: a loaf of bread, milk, and a carton of strawberries.
