The store was at the other end of the town. The sales lady told her the store was fifteen miles away. Emma couldn’t disappoint Johnny. She had to make that trip. The book was the last Christmas present on her list.
First she would have a cup of coffee. The mall was crowded. The tables were small and very close together. She had to share one with two old ladies.
Emma drank her coffee slowly. She was calm now. She noticed her arm ached. She didn’t pay too much attention to it. Her mind was on other things.
She had forgotten to take the turkey out of the freezer. She would be getting home late. The storm would hold up traffic. Would Tom feed the kids, she wondered. Emma thought of all the things she still had to do.
The kitchen counter was a mess and she would have to do the floor again. She must do it tonight. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and it would be too late.
The ladies were talking together. She wasn’t listening to them. Yet she could not help overhearing what they said. Someone had died. He had had a heart attack. He had complained about a pain in his arm. That was a sure sign of a heart attack, one of the women said.
Emma finished her coffee and left. She would finish her shopping first, then pick up the book and start for home.
Finally Emma finished her shopping. She decided to stop for a bite to eat. She had not eaten all day. It would be a good hour or so before she would get home. The storm would slow everything down.