Ellie steps into the frozen aisle and is immediately hit with:
the bright, buzzing lights203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ot2y8cLZw
the cold air blasting her face203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJeUXbnYlK
the endless rows of waffles203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JfakE7R0F
the prices203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvMqT8y79Y
the brands203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQ2rgB8UJ4
the choices203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovbLnRlUFS
the people walking behind her203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1e5UMte1oc
the fear she's standing weird203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuaaAAmmvW
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:203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRNW2HgM81
"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:203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiVaIlufxs
"should we get popsicles"
Ana:203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0iF20QNbQ
"no"
Zadie:203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5qY7JvQY0
"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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlso5jZGmd4
She compares unit prices like she's solving a puzzle.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIbOi3J300
She judges everyone else's carts silently.
She texts her husband, Daniel:203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVqk4rDAL7
"Theyre already falling apart"
Daniel:203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ50TUq4AfF
"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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwihGZBv9TX
Ana has three items.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YEnZwAmFF
Ruth has a perfectly curated basket.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYtJP7ndLu
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVH2LIwRlw
Ana's three perfect produce items.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15i61XSAkj
Ruth's bulk‑food precision bags.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPtstVuFRz
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnx4HlqHKm
Beep.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHpyXwhVax
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4B7u2fgw7
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJZG0ibYWr
Ana notices everything.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIxaXgbxyP
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBP5UjingkR
Steady.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmigpblNd8
Kind.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lm2XTelbO
Unshakeable.
Ellie's shoulders drop.
Ana pays.
Zadie shrugs like this is normal.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXkpGidt5I
Ruth sighs like she expected it.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtNgMJLCtJ
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFgdHVH3aZ
Ana nudges her shoulder gently.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbdtVgKzzO
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.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomGO4nnEYl
The anxiety is quiet.203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalFSzUTV0E
The moment is enough.
203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2vCNb9ari
203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4NgV4mbiI
203Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ejRP3PEjG
and then Add to home screen.