While she waited for the final confirmation documents, Hailey drove to the high end grocery store on the corner of Maple Street. She had shopped there every week for five years, always with a list Helen had written for her, always in a hurry, and always with a knot in her stomach about the total.Today she walked in with her head up and her heels clicking against the polished floor. She pulled a big cart from the row by the door and started down the first aisle without checking a single price.Water first, she thought, grabbing the biggest crates on the bottom shelf. Then rice, beans, oil, salt. Everything that lasts.She loaded bulk crates of canned meat, dried fruit, and instant noodles until her cart was heaped to the top. She added water filters, thermal blankets, camping stoves, gas canisters, and three boxes of heavy duty batteries. A young stock boy stared at the mountain of supplies as she rolled past him, and she gave him a friendly wink."Planning a long weekend?" he asked,
Last Updated : 2026-09-28 Read more