Wildest Dreams
Paint Chips
As I push Cash around the home improvement store in the shopping cart, I can't knock the feeling that someone is watching me. I stop the cart at the huge selection of paint colors as I look around to see where Matt wandered off to. I pull my cell phone out of my pocket and start to dial Matt's number but quickly shove it back into my pocket when I see what my son is up to.
"Blue." Cash says as he reaches out of the cart to grab a handful of the paint swatches.
"No, Cash!" I try to stop him before he can get his hands on them but he goes in with too much force and multi colored paint chips go tumbling to the cement floor. I let out a frustrated sigh as I drop to the ground to pick up the little pieces of paper as Cash begins sniffling like he's about to cry from being yelled at.
"Don't cry, sugar. Mama isn't really mad." I tell him as I gather all the pieces up into a pile but the tears begin to flow and I look around at a few people who turn our direction. "Lovely." I mumble under my breath, Matt still no where to be found.
"You look like you could use a hand." I hear a voice say and I stand back up quickly before turning around to see a tall brunette man just behind me. When I turn to check on Cash I realize that is why he started crying, a stranger, not my scolding.
"Excuse me?" My tone is agitated as I shove the paint chips on top of the display.
"You look like you have your hands full."
"I'm fine, thank you." I take my phone out of my pocket once more, fully irritated now that Matt is no where to be found. The stranger takes a step closer and I give him a dirty look.
"Beautiful kid you've got there." His gaze is unwavering and it starts to make me uncomfortable as Cash continues to let out sad cries through his sniffles.
"Do I know you?" I push the cart further away from the stranger to create more space between us.
"I think we may have a mutual friend." An elderly couple that had been shopping in the same aisle as us turns the corner out of site and the man steps forward and grabs me by the upper arm. My phone drops to the ground, the screen shattering, as I'm taken off guard.
"What-" I try to pull myself away to no avail.
"Shut up. Chris is getting impatient. He hasn't heard from you." The man shoves me back against the shelves of paint cans and covers my mouth with his other hand as Cash begins to full on wail.
"Mama!" He cries out, not understanding what is happening.
"He's not going to let this go. So don't think you can just ignore it." I struggle to get free from him but his grip is strong.
"Hey!" I hear a familiar voice call out and in a second the man releases me and is gone around the corner. Matt runs over, throwing everything he had been carrying into the cart and grabbing me by my shoulders.
"What the fuck?" His eyes are full of worry as tears stream down my own cheeks, my kid screaming while strangers start coming around the corner to see what is happening. "Are you okay?"
"Check on Cash." I mumble out as I pull myself away from him and cover my face with my hands. I start walking away from them, feeling claustrophobic.
"Mariah, where are you going?" I ignore him as I keep walking towards the front entrance, the tears slowing as I hug my arms around my upper body.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" A man in an orange vest and a name tag asks as I get to the exit.
"Fine." I mumble out before walking through the automatic sliding doors out into the sunshine. I take a deep breath almost like I'm gasping for air and lean up against the brick of the building before sliding down until I'm sitting on the sidewalk. Just a few seconds later the sliding doors open and Matt storms out carrying Cash in his arms. His eyes scan left and right before landing on me.
"What was that? Who was that guy?" He holds his hand out for me to take but I ignore him. "Mariah?" Matt sets Cash down on his feet and kneels down, one of his son's hands in his so he doesn't wander off.
"Chris wants us to pay him. I guess I should say, you." A sarcastic laugh falls from my lips as I feel more tears burning in my eyes. "As if my misery wasn't enough of a payment for him.
"That was someone Chris knows?"
"I guess."
"Mama." Cash comes over and puts a chubby hand on either side of my face. I look up at him, refusing to let tears fall. My son leans down and presses a kiss to my lips and pats the sides of my face.
"Thank you, baby." I reach out and hug him to me in a tight hug. I stand from my spot on the sidewalk as Matt takes Cash from my arms and slips free arm around my shoulders.
"You want to go home?" I shake my head no as I wipe my eyes.
"What about his room?"
"It can wait. We can do it another day." Matt starts leading us towards the car.
"But we already picked everything out."
"How about this. You wait in the car with Cash and I'll run back in and pay. They're holding everything so it will only take a second."
"Okay."
We get to the Jeep and Matt puts Cash in his car seat while I get in the front. Matt hands me the keys after he's done and leans in the passenger side.
"Nothing is going to happen to you, Mariah. Not while I'm around." He takes my face in his hands and kisses my forehead. "We will talk about this tonight after you've cooled off a little." His hazel eyes gaze into mine as he leans his forehead against mine. I brush a finger over his cheek before leaning up and connecting our lips in a soft kiss.
"Thank you." I whisper before he pulls away from me and shuts the passenger door.
"Blue." Cash says as he reaches out of the cart to grab a handful of the paint swatches.
"No, Cash!" I try to stop him before he can get his hands on them but he goes in with too much force and multi colored paint chips go tumbling to the cement floor. I let out a frustrated sigh as I drop to the ground to pick up the little pieces of paper as Cash begins sniffling like he's about to cry from being yelled at.
"Don't cry, sugar. Mama isn't really mad." I tell him as I gather all the pieces up into a pile but the tears begin to flow and I look around at a few people who turn our direction. "Lovely." I mumble under my breath, Matt still no where to be found.
"You look like you could use a hand." I hear a voice say and I stand back up quickly before turning around to see a tall brunette man just behind me. When I turn to check on Cash I realize that is why he started crying, a stranger, not my scolding.
"Excuse me?" My tone is agitated as I shove the paint chips on top of the display.
"You look like you have your hands full."
"I'm fine, thank you." I take my phone out of my pocket once more, fully irritated now that Matt is no where to be found. The stranger takes a step closer and I give him a dirty look.
"Beautiful kid you've got there." His gaze is unwavering and it starts to make me uncomfortable as Cash continues to let out sad cries through his sniffles.
"Do I know you?" I push the cart further away from the stranger to create more space between us.
"I think we may have a mutual friend." An elderly couple that had been shopping in the same aisle as us turns the corner out of site and the man steps forward and grabs me by the upper arm. My phone drops to the ground, the screen shattering, as I'm taken off guard.
"What-" I try to pull myself away to no avail.
"Shut up. Chris is getting impatient. He hasn't heard from you." The man shoves me back against the shelves of paint cans and covers my mouth with his other hand as Cash begins to full on wail.
"Mama!" He cries out, not understanding what is happening.
"He's not going to let this go. So don't think you can just ignore it." I struggle to get free from him but his grip is strong.
"Hey!" I hear a familiar voice call out and in a second the man releases me and is gone around the corner. Matt runs over, throwing everything he had been carrying into the cart and grabbing me by my shoulders.
"What the fuck?" His eyes are full of worry as tears stream down my own cheeks, my kid screaming while strangers start coming around the corner to see what is happening. "Are you okay?"
"Check on Cash." I mumble out as I pull myself away from him and cover my face with my hands. I start walking away from them, feeling claustrophobic.
"Mariah, where are you going?" I ignore him as I keep walking towards the front entrance, the tears slowing as I hug my arms around my upper body.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" A man in an orange vest and a name tag asks as I get to the exit.
"Fine." I mumble out before walking through the automatic sliding doors out into the sunshine. I take a deep breath almost like I'm gasping for air and lean up against the brick of the building before sliding down until I'm sitting on the sidewalk. Just a few seconds later the sliding doors open and Matt storms out carrying Cash in his arms. His eyes scan left and right before landing on me.
"What was that? Who was that guy?" He holds his hand out for me to take but I ignore him. "Mariah?" Matt sets Cash down on his feet and kneels down, one of his son's hands in his so he doesn't wander off.
"Chris wants us to pay him. I guess I should say, you." A sarcastic laugh falls from my lips as I feel more tears burning in my eyes. "As if my misery wasn't enough of a payment for him.
"That was someone Chris knows?"
"I guess."
"Mama." Cash comes over and puts a chubby hand on either side of my face. I look up at him, refusing to let tears fall. My son leans down and presses a kiss to my lips and pats the sides of my face.
"Thank you, baby." I reach out and hug him to me in a tight hug. I stand from my spot on the sidewalk as Matt takes Cash from my arms and slips free arm around my shoulders.
"You want to go home?" I shake my head no as I wipe my eyes.
"What about his room?"
"It can wait. We can do it another day." Matt starts leading us towards the car.
"But we already picked everything out."
"How about this. You wait in the car with Cash and I'll run back in and pay. They're holding everything so it will only take a second."
"Okay."
We get to the Jeep and Matt puts Cash in his car seat while I get in the front. Matt hands me the keys after he's done and leans in the passenger side.
"Nothing is going to happen to you, Mariah. Not while I'm around." He takes my face in his hands and kisses my forehead. "We will talk about this tonight after you've cooled off a little." His hazel eyes gaze into mine as he leans his forehead against mine. I brush a finger over his cheek before leaning up and connecting our lips in a soft kiss.
"Thank you." I whisper before he pulls away from me and shuts the passenger door.