Jealousy in the Grocery Store Hallway

Jealousy in the Grocery Store Hallway

I woke up feeling my heart still racing from the dream I’d just had. I was at the grocery store, the same one I go to every Thursday, but everything was a little off – the aisles were longer than they should be and the fluorescent lights flickered. I was pushing a cart, trying to find the cereal I always buy, when I saw my partner in the frozen foods section, laughing with an old college roommate I hadn’t seen in years. They were holding hands, and I could swear I heard a soft "I missed you". I tried to call out, but my voice came out as a whisper. I turned around to leave, but the exit was gone; instead there was a long hallway that led to a tiny coffee shop I’d never noticed before. I sat down, ordered a latte, and watched them from across the room. My hands were shaking, and I felt a mix of jealousy and a strange, quiet relief that I wasn’t the one to confront them. Then the bell rang and I woke up, still half‑caught in the feeling of being late for something I couldn’t name.