𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝓞 ──── in which your daughter disappears down a store aisle, nowhere to be found. that is, until she comes back to you with a handsome stranger holding her hand and a brand-new toy.
﹙ 1,079 ﹚ choi san x singlemom!fem!r | 𝑓𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧＆𝑐𝗈𝗆𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗍 + petnames strangers to (???) physical touch not proofread ﹗
─ emi is about 3 years old here.
𝓁ani speaks : not my best work but i’ve been struggling to write lately so i’m taking this as a win
she had been right there.
standing at your side, in the bread aisle, holding onto the fabric of your sweatpants as you picked up two loafs to put into your cart. she followed behind you closely as you pushed the cart when you left the aisle, traveling to get the next thing on your list.
but in an instant, she was gone. you were calling her name, asking her about snacks and what she would want for dinner.
there was no response. you had stopped pushing the cart, realizing you didn’t feel her tugging at your pants or hear her occasional giggles as she imagined all sorts of games and cartoon characters.
you turned to find nothing but a shelf of chocolate next to you, your daughter not in sight.
“emilia?” you called out, looking down one of the aisles. there was a lady who glanced at you and turned back to the item she was holding.
she couldn’t have gone far, you tried to convince yourself.
leaving the cart where it was, you jogged back to the bread aisle. and again, there was no sight of her.
you ran to another aisle, searching everything up and down, checking behind the items that stood on the shelves.
your heart’s pace began to pick up, faster than its normal rate. usually you’d put her in the cart but there were too many groceries this time, and you were not pulling that red wagon that she loved to sit in when you both went on walks.
you checked a few more aisles before eventually finding an employee, jogging up to her for some extra help.
“excuse me, um,” you stop in front of her, your chest heaving.
she looked at you, her eyes widening with concern. “yes?”
“i’m sorry— have you seen a little girl around here? pink sweatpants and a white tee shirt?”
she looked down the aisle she was stocking in. “no, i’m sorry. no one’s really been down this one.”
you drag your hands down your face, groaning. you thanked the young lady anyway, hoping to find someone else who could be of more help. but before you could walk away, she called out.
“i could ask around, if you’d like? maybe she’s looking for you,” she offered a tender smile, climbing down from the small step stool to stand by your side.
“that would be great, thank you.” you let out a shaky breath. together, you both roamed the aisles, calling out your daughter’s name—to which you received no response.
as the minutes passed, the more you walked up and down those aisles, your stomach sank. you couldn’t lose her, not your baby.
the employee eventually turned to you, after walking down the seventh aisle.
“would you like me to call the police?” her eyebrows were furrowed as she studied your anxious expression.
before you could even start to say yes, a small voice called out, nearly bringing tears to your eyes.
you turned around so quickly, you almost lost your balance.
there was emi, her face lighting up when she saw that it was you. she held something in her hand that was nearly as big as her, and a hand that you did not recognize.
your gaze shifted to the figure next to her, traveling up to reveal a man—an all too good-looking one—with sharp features but a gentle smile on his face. he held emi’s hand tightly, a protective grip that ensured she wouldn’t wander off again.
you caught yourself staring, quickly clearing your throat before greeting your daughter.
you crouched to her level, watching as she immediately let go of the man’s hand and he watched as she ran to you, his smile growing wide.
“mama!” she said again, dropping the box in her hand and wrapping her hands around your neck. you pulled her in for a tight embrace, your arms wrapping around her smaller frame.
“oh, thank goodness,” you mumbled, closing your eyes. you rubbed her back, staying there with her for a moment.
“where did you go?! i thought i lost you, i thought—“ you rambled.
emi pulled back to look at you, “i don’t know,”
“you don’t know?” you laughed shakily, your breathing still uneven.
she shook her head before hugging you again, tighter this time.
“i’m sorry,” she mumbled into your jacket. without saying anything, you kissed the side of her head, lifting her up in your arms.
your gaze landed back on the man, who still stood in front of you.
“i found her in the toy section,” he said softly, glancing at the box that sat on the ground. it was a new teacup set with little utensils inside, which emi didn’t need but that didn’t matter at the moment.
“um, i— thank you,” your lips formed a small smile, watching as he held out his hand. you took it, your palms sliding against each other’s as you gave his hand a firm shake.
“it’s no problem, i’m glad i could help,” his dimple deepened as he beamed, still holding your hand.
your face felt hot as the handsome stranger gazed back at you, a twinkle in his eye.
“uh, did you need help? with anything else?” he asked, his grip on your hand turning loose as he bent to pick up emi’s new toy.
“no, no,” you reassured him. “i…i think we got everything.”
he handed you the toy, as you readjusted emi in your arms.
“thank you, again. i really appreciate it.”
he nodded, saying that it was no problem. emi sat up in your arms, facing him.
“thank you, mr. san,” she spoke quietly, suddenly shy. he chuckled m, leaning in to give her head a small pat.
“of course, but stay close to mama, okay? she was really worried.” his tone softened when he spoke to emi, as if she was the most delicate thing ever.
emi nodded before wrapping her arms around you again, nuzzling into your neck.
you looked at san once more as he waved to you and emi, giving you one more smile before turning back down the aisle.
“how did you manage to find the most gorgeous person in the store?” you murmured more to yourself than to emi.
she yawned, her small hand patting at your back. “wan’ go home.”
you nodded, forgetting all about the cart that was filled with the items from your list.
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