“What are we making for dinner?”

Those words instantly pulled you out of the endless whirl of thoughts that had been keeping you trapped ever since you stepped into the supermarket, holding hands like the most ordinary married couple.

Leon leaned slightly, catching your confused, tense gaze, but said nothing. He only let out a quiet breath, his lips tightening almost imperceptibly, and gave your shoulder an encouraging pat.

“Alright.” He shrugged calmly and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “If you feel like anything, just tell me.”

You gave a shy nod and looked down at the white tile floor, faintly reflecting the cold light of the fluorescent lamps.

“Go pick something for yourself for now.”

With those words, the man pushed the cart forward, stopping by a long aisle of cleaning supplies. For several seconds he studied the shelves carefully, then picked up two nearly identical boxes of detergent and, frowning, began comparing the ingredients.

For long moments, you simply stood in the middle of the aisle, watching. But Leon didn’t even lift his head, so you gathered enough courage to take one step, and then another. No one stopped you.

The wheels of the shopping carts tapped quietly against the tile. People passing by talked about work, dinner, weekend plans, and a soft, unobtrusive tune drifted down from the overhead speakers, giving the everyday bustle a sense of homey comfort.

In the sweets aisle, a boy of about five nearly knocked you over. Clutching a large plush toy with a price tag attached to one soft ear, he darted past you with a ringing laugh, weaving between shoppers.

“Thomas! Thomas, come back!” the woman behind him — clearly his mother — almost groaned as she tried to catch up to the little runaway with a younger child in her arms.

You had forgotten how chaotic something as simple as a trip to the store could be. Everything felt entirely unreal, as though you had accidentally wandered onto the set of a TV show or into someone’s far too vivid dream.

Your feet carried you farther down the aisles on their own. Your eyes skimmed over the colorful packaging and endless product names.

Then you suddenly stopped and turned around on instinct.

Leon was gone.