August 27th, 2023

Feeding a family of six was expensive, even when four of them were little. Going grocery shopping gave Brittany a headache. She didn't know why she didn't leave the kids with her parents so she could do it in peace. It wasn't even the kids that made her head hurt most of the time. It was the trying to plan out as many dinners as she could and trying to ignore Star Hope on the store radio system. She heard that song way too many times.

"Okay, Tate, I need a bag of red apples." Brittany said looking at her list. Tate skipped over to the display and picked up a giant bag of red apples. He frowned as he picked it up.

"Jeez, it's heavy." Tate groaned bringing it over to Brittany. She put it in the cart for his.

"Okay, Sophia Bug, I need two heads of that lettuce right there. One two." She said. Sophia gave her mother a look as if to say Duh, mother. I know how to count to two. I'm not a baby. Sophia picked up two heads of lettuce. "Thank you darling."

"Me next." Leyla squealed. Brittany looking down at her list. She grabbed a bag.

"Okay, I need five cucumbers." She said. Leyla stood on her tip toes as she picked out the cucumbers. She counted very carefully as she put them in the plastic bag that Brittany was holding out. "Do you guys want spaghetti for dinner tonight?"

"If you make meatballs." Tate said. Brittany burst out laughing as she moved her children to the next aisle.

"I think I can handle that." She said looking at the boxed juice. Her mother always told her no boxed juiced, but Brittany gave her kids them anyway. They were just easier.

"I want fruit punch." Sophia said looking at the labels.

"That's not how you get what you want, Sophia." Brittany frowned picking up some grape flavored juice.

"Please can I have fruit punch, Momma?" Sophia asked. A smile returned to her face when her daughter remembered her manners. She put a small case of fruit punch in the carriage.

"Okay, Leyla, what do you want?" Brittany asked her youngest daughter. No response. Brittany turned around and Leyla wasn't there. Brittany's eyes scanned the aisle. Panic started to set in, "Leyla? Where's your sister?"

"I dunno." Sophia said. Severe panic started to set in. Leyla liked to wander and now she apparently did she did just that. Brittany had no idea where she was.

"Leyla? Stay right here. Do not move a muscle." Brittany said running over to the produce section. Her eyes scanned the section for her daughter. Maybe she went to go get more cucumbers, "Leyla Abrams!" Leyla wasn't there. She ran back to her other three children. "Where is she?"

"I didn't see her." Tate said, trying to keep his lip from quivering. Brittany pushed the cart down the aisle hoping Leyla would just jump out from nowhere laughing.

"Excuse me, have you seen a little girl running around?" Brittany walked up to a stranger.

"I'm sorry. I haven't." The woman said. Brittany began to run in the front of the grocery store looking down each aisle. They raised her right. She wouldn't go with a stranger right? She knew the dangers to doing that at two years old right?b She had to stay calm or she was freak her other three children out. Brittany saw the store manager standing near the front cashier.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Brittany waved the man down.

"May I help you, Ma'am?" He said.

"I can't find my daughter. She was right behind me one second. I turned around and then…then she wasn't there." Brittany said, her blue eyes began to fill up with tears, "I cant find her. She's so little."

"We'll find her. Don't worry." He said. Brittany never realized how big this super market was until she lost one of the most important things in her life. "Okay, tell me about her."

"Her name is Leyla. Sh-She's two. Um…She has light brown hair and blue eyes. Um. Sh-she's wearing a purple gingham sun dress. Shes a very sweet child and likes people a lot." Brittany said trying not to burst into tears.

"All right." The manager picked up the microphone and turned on the PA system. "Attention Stop and Shop customers, We have a missing little girl somewhere in the store. Her name is Leyla and she's two years old. She has brown hair and is wearing a purple dress. Her mother is up front of the store so please bring the child here if found."

Brittany sat down on a chair a cashier gave her. The tears finally began to flow. She cried into her hands. What would Artie say if she could never be found? Brittany would die if something happened to her little girl. She couldn't imagine her life without Leyla. She was only two years old. Maybe she should have been in the cart. Maybe she wasn't old enough to be out of the cart, like Brody. Next time no matter how much she protested, she would be sitting in the cart.

"I can't handle this." She said taking in a deep breath. She looked at her other kids. An elderly cashier was entertaining them with crayons and blank notebook. What if someone took her outside of the super market? What if someone put her in their car and they were going to drive across the country?

She was a terrible mother. What kind of mother would do this? Brittany looked up when she saw a woman walking down the aisle holding onto Leyla's hand. Relief washed over Brittany. She jumped up and ran to her little girl. She grabbed her and held onto her tightly.

"Don't ever leave me again. You scared me so much." Brittany said kissing her daughter's cheek.

"I'm sorry, Momma." She said wrapping her arms around Brittany's neck. She wouldn't let go of Leyla ever again.

Artie unlocked the front door after getting home from work. The entire house was dark and quiet. Everyone was probably asleep. Artie wheeled in, throwing his keys down on the table by the door. He wheeled into the living room and saw his wife sitting on the couch. She looked pretty lit up by the glow of the television. Artie noticed a half bottle of wine in front of her. She was sipping a large glass of wine. Something wasn't right.

"Hey, Baby." He said putting his breaks on. He lifted himself up and slid onto the couch.

"Hey." She whispered taking another sip of the wine. Artie frowned. Normally Brittany would run over to him and give him a giant hug, but tonight was different.

"What happened?" He asked. Brittany's lip began to quiver.

"Nothing happened. Go to bed." She whispered. Artie stared at her. He knew his wife better than she thought apparently.

"What happened, Brittany?" Artie said. Brittany burst into tears. Artie pulled her into him and let her cry into his shoulder. He hated to see his wife like this. "Brittany, tell me."

"I…I'm such a terrible mother. A very bad momma." She said. He pushed her blond hair away from her face and looked into her sad eyes.

"What happened?" Artie frowned.

"I lost her. We were shopping and I just turned around for a second and she was gone." Brittany sobbed. Panic set in for Artie.

"Who did you lose?" Artie asked slowly.

"Leyla. I thought She was gone forever. I thought….What kind of mother would lose her own child?" Brittany sobbed.

"Where is Leyla?" Artie asked.

"In bed. She's in bed now sleeping." Brittany said. Artie breathed a sigh of relief. "What mother loses her child?"

"A lot do, Britt. It happens all the time." Artie smiled kissing her cheek, "Leyla was fine. She likes to wander and you know that. That doesn't make you a bad mother."

"I was so scared." She whispered. "All I could think about was how incomplete our family would be if she was never found."

"but she was and we never have to think about it again." Artie said.

"Would you leave me if I lost Leyla?" She asked. Artie sighed. This experience had obviously spooked her greatly.

"No. I would have never left you. I wouldn't have been angry at you. I would have helped you find our little girl, but We don't have to think about that, Britt. Leyla is in her bed, safe and sound. All of our children are safe and sound. They always will be with us." Artie said. Brittany nodded as she wiped her eyes.

"Maybe I over reacted." She sighed, "But it was very scary." "I know." Artie said rubbing her leg, "Guess what I hear on the radio today?" he asked her, trying to change the subject. Brittany arched her eyebrow. "Santana and Mercedes' new song."

"Is it good? Will it give me a headache?" Brittany asked.

"Its actually pretty catchy. I think you'll like it. it's a good dancing song." He said. Brittany cuddled into her husband.

"I like dance songs." She said. Artie wrapped his arms around his wife and stroked her back, "I feel so much better now that you're holding me."

"It's my job to make you feel better." He whispered kissing her hair. He knew she was going to sleep well tonight. She had a very hard day. He was thankful Leyla had been found safe and sound. He wouldn't have known what they would have done if Leyla wasn't found but thank fully they never would have to find that out.