As I walk with my family through Walmart, trailing behind them, my music blasts in my ears. My fingers graze the shelves as we pass, tracing the edges of boxes and bottles without really seeing them. I sigh, eyes drifting upward—and that’s when I see him.

A guy, about my age, just as bored, just as detached, lagging behind his own family. His hands brush against random items, mirroring my own absentminded habit. His expression shifts slightly when our eyes meet, something between surprise and amusement flickering across his face.

For a moment, neither of us looks away.

Then, almost in sync, we pull out one earbud, curiosity piqued.

“Long day?” he asks, a lazy smirk playing at his lips.

I huff a laugh. “You have no idea.”

His family rounds the corner, and mine keeps walking, but we linger, caught in this unexpected moment. In a place as mundane as Walmart, where neither of us expected anything interesting to happen, something shifts.

Maybe this errand just got a little more interesting.