Alex and Justin go shopping and almost lose their little daughter in the process - somehow.
"We should—didn't you write a shopping list?"
"Why would I write something so old-fashioned?"
"So we know what to buy."
"We're 25 years old—we know what we need to buy."
"Then why do I feel like we're missing something?"
Alex and Justin were at a supermarket in Atlanta, doing some quick grocery shopping for dinner. It was a routine errand that should have been done quickly, but the couple seemed to have run into a problem. Neither of them had written a shopping list, and now they had to figure out what groceries they still needed.
"Now, if you're going to come along wanting four-ply toilet paper—" - Alex began, and Justin just rolled his blue eyes in amusement.
"It's a survival necessity, honey," - Justin asserted.
"Funny—I always thought food was a survival necessity for you," - Alex replied with a grin.
"Let's just say both aspects are important. What's still missing, in your opinion?" Justin said, not wanting an argument while shopping.
"Something healthy, maybe? Take a look at the contents of the shopping cart," Alex replied, watching his partner inspect the cart's contents.
Of course, there was toilet paper. But for the most part, it was fast food, candy, chips, chocolate, and hardly anything healthy like fruit.
"This is very mysterious," - Justin said, his face serious.
"I thought it was always said that athletes were careful about their diets," - Alex teased Clay's adopted brother. Of course, that was true; after his job as a social worker, he played on the local Atlanta basketball team, and you had to watch your diet—but why should he be the prime suspect with this cart's contents?
"That's true, but you gamers aren't any different, you need your sugar. Or should I say, that applies to video game programmers too," - Justin replied after a few seconds, finally managing to bring a smile to his partner's face.
"Okay—our diet probably isn't the best—but we should get some fruit and vegetables for Ashlyn's sake," - Alex replied, and Justin wholeheartedly agreed. It would certainly be important for their adopted daughter to eat some fruit and vegetables.
Ten minutes later, the shopping cart was filled with a good amount of fruit and vegetables, as well as cans of peas and carrots, which would keep longer. Besides, it didn't look so greedy anymore, and Alex had finally managed to shake off the feeling that they had forgotten something.
"Then let's go to the checkout—is your leg okay?" - Justin asked, glancing anxiously at the walking aid Alex was leaning on. He was making more and more progress, and soon he wouldn't need this hated thing anymore.
"It sucks. But the pain lessens when you're with me," - the brown-haired man replied, giving his partner a brief, affectionate smile.
"After all these years, I'm still surprised that there's a romantic in you, darling," - Justin said with a grin, and kissed the stall on the mouth without warning. Justin was the last person who minded showing his affection for Alex in public.
As the two approached the checkout, they noticed something was missing. Only when they looked in the child seat attached to the shopping cart did they realize that three-year-old Ashlyn wasn't sitting in it.
"Fuck," - Justin cursed, staring at the empty seat in surprise.
"Where is she?" - Alex asked, just as surprised as his boyfriend.
"Didn't you take her out of the cart by the bakery aisle?" - Justin asked, and Alex nodded in response.
"Yeah—why didn't we notice she was gone?" - Alex agreed, shrugging helplessly.
"Let's go look for her," - Alex decided a few seconds later, and the couple pushed the cart ahead of them to search for their daughter.
"Come on, a three-year-old can't just disappear in a supermarket."
The two young men had searched most of the aisles but couldn't find Ashlyn anywhere.
"She didn't run outside, did she?" - Justin asked, sounding worried.
"Nonsense," - Alex quickly dismissed the idea.
"Then where is she?" - Justin asked, running a hand through his dark hair, almost panicking.
"Come downstairs. This supermarket has two floors. The groceries are downstairs, and the clothes, office supplies, and toys are upstairs. Maybe she's there," - Alex tried to reassure his friend.
"I hope you're right. We should put a tracking device on that kid or attach a bell to her."
Justin murmured and then walked with Alex over to the escalator leading to the second floor of the supermarket to check on the toddler.
"Thank God, I see her." - Justin pushed the shopping cart into the next aisle, which was filled with toys, and saw the toddler sitting on the floor, two stuffed animals in front of her, engrossed in their play. Alex placed a hand on her shoulder, and when Justin looked into the blue eyes of the man he loved, the former high school student understood what Alex was trying to tell him.
"Try not to overwhelm her with your fatherly love," - Alex said, and then, with the help of his walker and his partner, he approached the girl.
"Ashlyn Lainie Standall—what are you doing?" - Alex asked the little blonde girl. The toddler dropped the third stuffed animal she was holding and turned around in surprise.
"Playing Daddy," - Ashlyn replied, and started to go back to the stuffed animals she wanted. But Justin's clearing of his throat made them pause their plan.
"Daddy did something wrong, Ashlyn?" - Ashlyn asked, trying to read the emotions on her fathers' faces.
"We were looking for you, Princess," - Justin said, crouching down to pick up the toddler and giving her a worried look.
"Daddy asked," - Ashlyn replied with a smile.
"Did she ask Alex?" - Justin wanted to know, but he couldn't quite remember.
"Um—now that you mention it, yes, she asked if she could choose a toy—but she must have misunderstood," - Alex recalled.
"Did we misunderstand something, Missy?" - Alex asked his daughter directly. Ashlyn rested her head thoughtfully on Justin's shoulder, seemingly pondering a suitable reply.
"You should come up here with us, darling," - Alex explained gently, and Ashlyn nodded.
"I'm so sorry, Daddy and Dad," - Ashlyn said apologetically, giving Justin and then Alex a kiss on the cheek.
"It's okay, baby. Just remember next time. Your dad and I were worried sick," - Alex said, stroking the little girl's hair.
"Can I have my stuffed animal?" - Ashlyn added.
"Please—Ashlyn, don't go alone again," - the three-year-old said a few seconds later, pointing to one of the stuffed animals still sitting on the aisle floor.
"She's looking at me with such puppy eyes, Alex," - Justin wailed, now gazing wide-eyed at Alex.
"Okay—but we shouldn't tell anyone we almost lost our daughter in the supermarket," - Alex finally agreed, and the little family headed towards the checkout.