Chapter 104: Shopping & Recall of Memories
The Grand Mall’s upper floor was a vibrant maze of lights and sounds, the polished floors reflecting the glow of storefronts, the air thick with the scent of leather, perfume, and the faint sweetness.
We were in a men’s shoe store now, its sleek displays lined with polished sneakers, loafers, and boots, the air scented with new leather and faint cologne. Sara had insisted on buying me something, her rare generosity catching me off guard, and now she was bouncing around like a kid, grabbing shoes off the racks and thrusting them toward me, her boots clicking on the hardwood floor.
"So, Ezra, which shoes do you want? This? This? Or this?" she asked, her voice loud, her grin wide, holding up a pair of black sneakers, then a flashy red pair, then some white ones with neon accents, her red nails glinting as she juggled them, barely giving me time to look.
"You’ll just confuse him like that," Aeri said, giggling, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she stood beside Sara.
Sara rolled her eyes, tossing her hair, her jacket creaking as she shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, he’s your kid in the end," she said, her tone bored but teasing, dropping the red sneakers back on the rack with a dramatic Sigh. "Obviously, you know everything." She crossed her arms, her stockings catching the light, her pout half-serious.
I stood off to the side, near a glass display of sneakers, my eyes scanning the rows of shoes, ignoring their chatter. The glass reflected the store’s warm lights, the sneakers lined up like art pieces, and I focused on them, igroning Sara’s theatrics, thinking about which pair would actually work with my wardrobe.
A simple white pair caught my eye, clean and versatile, perfect for Sara’s upcoming wedding.
Behind me, Aeri’s voice softened, her tone turning nostalgic as she leaned against a display, her eyes on me, though I didn’t turn.
"Since he was just a small child, he’s been like this," she said, her smile audible, her words heavy with memory. "I took him to buy clothes, and he’d just stand there, staring at different shirts and shoes, never throwing loud cries like other kids. Even when I asked what he wanted, he’d just point at one quietly, like he already knew." Her voice warmed, her sneakers scuffing as she shifted.