Rustle.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Levi began to put away the groceries while Eren continued to unload the car. Petra appeared at the sound of their activity and started tying bags into sticks, ready for a lighter activity and the conversation of her husband and son after moving boxes all morning.

Levi took his wife's arrival as invitation to recount the trials of their expedition.

"Getting groceries was fine, but on the way back we passed some kind of outlet mall and Eren had me drive through the parking lot since Armin's birthday is coming up. I wasn't looking at the stores since we were getting turned around and I had to watch the GPS, and then Eren wanted me turn back because we'd passed Barnes & Noble. I turned the car around and I was scanning low because we were too close to the stores and their names were too high up so what was the point since I was sitting on the left side of the car; I needed to find a parking spot and I could recognize the storefront. Except then Eren said I was passing it again! So I parked and we got out and we were walking up to the store and it was disgusting.

The windows had giant, protruding window sills and instead of large, single sheets of glass for the windows they were smaller with with lattices for panes so you couldn't see inside. They couldn't have the nice big posters, and the windows did show nice displays or reading nooks or the faces of bookshelves. And along with being chunky the color scheme was off and the store name. And it had these big-ass, nearly black awnings, it looked like Starbucks."

Petra elbowed her husband and Eren chortled.

Levi continued on, unapologetic.

"We didn't move somewhere civilized when we moved to the suburbs, we moved somewhere that thinks it's hip and modern."

Petra threw her head back and laughed but kissed him sympathetically on the cheek.

"How horrifying."