Ellie steps into the frozen aisle and is immediately hit with:
the bright, buzzing lights138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1YBzSuE4Y
the cold air blasting her face138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnJRyLHye7
the endless rows of waffles138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKtLaXKgQG
the prices138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPN4HTmII6j
the brands138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNooW25sZ9
the choices138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRLBIDMaeq
the people walking behind her138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHlHv3lcY2
the fear she's standing weird138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eo9zQE50y
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:138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJkum3oPPD
"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:138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKICD3fSSMw
"should we get popsicles"
Ana:138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vQPoTK29z
"no"
Zadie:138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSrNGlbu12
"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.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzohJJchjWi
She compares unit prices like she's solving a puzzle.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9QoUOav3i
She judges everyone else's carts silently.
She texts her husband, Daniel:138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRoZVuAXAg
"Theyre already falling apart"
Daniel:138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9ufiLNRr8
"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.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWFin92XOj
Ana has three items.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwODrGAIzUU
Ruth has a perfectly curated basket.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCxt5GLAJv
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.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDmOt110Et
Ana's three perfect produce items.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpWBbtpfPi
Ruth's bulk‑food precision bags.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugvyp3dTgM
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.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkA8fG1NDOW
Beep.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7zAqlNkDa
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.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2UU8ics9I
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.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIjPMgPees
Ana notices everything.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1kaD85vge
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.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KqpyMbuje
Steady.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0irw5yMXsz
Kind.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAJ3QnGl9W
Unshakeable.
Ellie's shoulders drop.
Ana pays.
Zadie shrugs like this is normal.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXglVtLzsx
Ruth sighs like she expected it.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhcWUrDZQs
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.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGxalHOIpN
Ana nudges her shoulder gently.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyucsDSOcQ
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.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRMTV9SFiY
The anxiety is quiet.138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnjK5cOpSZ
The moment is enough.
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sfYjsud40
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PPI5GkyWm
138Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazgHqOPQ33
and then Add to home screen.