Ellie steps into the frozen aisle and is immediately hit with:
the bright, buzzing lights8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZk3OHJdLK
the cold air blasting her face8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OU564abJg
the endless rows of waffles8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAAxVgX3Xw
the prices8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7V4iQ6pAN
the brands8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6D6aIy6Veh
the choices8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6vnRAVM6U
the people walking behind her8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19hlX80JEn
the fear she's standing weird8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtat6Kwqvw
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:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptMdx0klQS
"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:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL26RxRHDzP
"should we get popsicles"
Ana:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5N9VrvzxDE
"no"
Zadie:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqIf6YmPTV
"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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oXVvSillv
She compares unit prices like she's solving a puzzle.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9cnDn3e34
She judges everyone else's carts silently.
She texts her husband, Daniel:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSvxziuU1p
"Theyre already falling apart"
Daniel:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtCBVj9kuA
"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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9WhUxpXk6
Ana has three items.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVmHP7jRDb
Ruth has a perfectly curated basket.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHYtCFYAAW
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhzTJm3vs5
Ana's three perfect produce items.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQwSrBlBEd
Ruth's bulk‑food precision bags.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZIBcRrppU
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNa8Teksv2C
Beep.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3KvHXuLyb
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtcUp2udk8
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsywyKSyDW
Ana notices everything.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIGtwkFHfs
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrHzDO8G27
Steady.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Nc2jCjLof
Kind.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJEXzO3wEk
Unshakeable.
Ellie's shoulders drop.
Ana pays.
Zadie shrugs like this is normal.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJbYW98Sl7
Ruth sighs like she expected it.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUEzeFwRMC
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7r1cPorgr
Ana nudges her shoulder gently.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1lUs5HAqu
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqG2iLLIk5
The anxiety is quiet.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5iQ5JhYeV
The moment is enough.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7r1ZzOieE
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGefCCaxMz
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FBSbNRbx5
and then Add to home screen.