Page 16 of August
“Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“Am I weird because I’m going to miss my sister when I go to college?”
Elisa laughed a little and said, “No, honey. You’re twins. It’s a little different than just a brother missing his sister. I know in the past few years, things have been different, and you’ve grown apart a bit, but that’s normal because you’re teenagers. I know your sister. I’m sure she’s going to miss you, too.”
“Has she said anything to you about it?” he asked.
“No, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel it. Maybe you should tell her how you’re feeling.”
“Yeah, right,” he said and laughed. “She’d just make fun of me. She’s always calling me heryoungerbrother.”
“Because she can. You’d callheryour younger sister if you’d been born first.”
“Probably,” he agreed as they reached the counter.
“Hi. I need to return this. I have a receipt,” Elisa said and handed it to the woman at the counter.
“This item isn’t returnable.”
“Sorry?” she asked. “It’s within the thirty-day window.”
“But the item’s receipt says, ‘No returns.’” The cashier held it up for Elisa to see. “If opened, no returns.”
“Ifopened? We didn’t open it,” Elisa said as she looked at the plastic bag her son had placed on the counter.
“The zipper is open,” the woman pointed out.
“Because it’s azipper. I didn’t open this. It’s bedding for my son’s dorm, but we’re getting something else because this won’t fit. He’s never even pulled it out of the bag.”
“Yeah,” Archie added in his attempt to help.
“I would have to get my manager to approve this,” the woman replied.
“Yes, please do,” Elisa said.
The cashier just rolled her eyes as if she hadn’t expected Elisa to take her up on the manager offer and picked up the phone by the register.
“I need a manager,” she said into it and waited. “It’ll be a few minutes,” she added to Elisa. “Do you want to wait?”
“Yes, I do,” Elisa replied.
Seven minutes later, the manager approached and processed the return.
“Mom, you were a Karen back there,” Archie said.
“I was not,” she replied as they left the return area.
“You asked for her manager.”
“Sheofferedto get the manager. I didn’t ask for them,” Elisa said as she laughed.
“Still, it was pretty cool,” he replied. “Can we go find what I need now?”
“Yes, but that’s it, Arch. I mean it.”
“I know. I know. Just the bed stuff. We can get the rest when I get there. I heard you.”
