She had a feeling Clay was a ‘newbie’ at this sort of thing. Poor guy, looks like he was pretty hungry too. She hoped he’d hang on till they made a decision.
“How soft? Um… let’s see.” The lawyer looked at the different shades of orange before her very carefully for a few moments before responding by pointing at one. “There! That one! It’s like my hair, isn’t it? Plus, pink is too… cliché. I’m sure Polly would agree!” she beamed at him and placed her hands on her hips.
“All right, I think we’re done here! Let’s go pay up, Clay!” With that, the duo made their way to the one behind the desk who smiled at them.
“Will that be all? That will be 45 dollars.” The man said.
“Yup! Here you are!” Athena took out her wallet and paid the amount.
“Thank you. Come again, and good luck with your baby!”
“Wh– we’re not married!! He’s not my husband…!” Oh God, she was flustered now.
"H-Hm! Oh, this one? Yeah, it looks like your hair!" He thinks. Best not argue with her about this sort of thing.
"Would he, now...? O-Oh..."
Clay's voice caught in his throat, his stomach sinking. Though it wasn't the color now, since now Adelaide was getting older and she could make her own opinions, ("Blue walls, Daddy. Like the sky!") he quite distinctly remembered what her room was in their old apartment, since-
"Her room has to be pink, pumpkin. I refuse for it to be any other color!”
...Blinking, Clay brought himself back to reality, shaking the thoughts out of his head and following Athena to the checkout line. He was half listening to the conversation at hand, letting Athena handle the talking, when his ears caught what the cashier had said.
“Oh! So he’s your boyfriend, then!”
“Ggh- n-no, we aren’t anything!” Oh no. Be a man who shops with a pregnant woman and suddenly, you’re the father. “We’re just friends, is all!”
“Oh, I-I see! I’m sorry for the mixup! Well, good luck, nonetheless!”
Managing to crack a smile at the cashier despite it all, Clay picked up the cans of paint from the checkout and exited the hardware store, receipt and gnarling starvation still in tow.
“S-So... are we good? Or... we still have somewhere else we need to go?”