Pasta, Alex, and Lost Keys in the Grocery Store

Pasta, Alex, and Lost Keys in the Grocery Store

I was in the grocery store near my apartment, but the aisles kept turning into the hallway from my old office. I was looking for pasta and also somehow late for a meeting. Then I ran into Alex from three years ago, standing by the freezer section like it was normal. We used to almost date and never quite did. I was wearing a work blazer over pajama pants and felt embarrassed, but Alex didn’t mention it. We talked about nothing—weather, a mutual friend who’d moved—while I kept checking my phone for a text that never came. The store lights were too bright. I wanted to say I missed hanging out, but the words stuck. Alex asked if I wanted to grab coffee after, and I said yes, then realized I couldn’t find my keys in my bag. We started walking toward the exit that was also the old break room, and I felt that mix of relief and panic, like I was going to mess it up again. Then I woke up still thinking about whether I should have just said something.