The Target

Tessa recognized the boy first.

Charley stood in the aisle of pillows, multicolored fluffy clouds stretching far above his head. His hand reached out to stroke a soft blue one. The boy shoved his arms further between the pillows. Soon, all Tessa could see was his red hooded sweatshirt, stained blue jeans, and threadbare sneakers. Why didn’t his mother buy him new shoes? She had the money.

A giggle. His sister was nearby. Tessa heard footsteps, and the boy pulled free of the pillows. He ran down the aisle, straight towards her, and she froze. Of course, he wouldn't recognize her, but that didn’t stop the clenching in her belly. Tessa had never seen a picture of Scott as a child, but she imagined he looked a lot like his son. He slowed, veering around her cart and heading into the next aisle without a backward glance.

“Caroline. Charley!” The voice was harsh, haggard. “Stop running. Why can’t you both stay put for five minutes?” The voice shot over the piles of pillows, an arrow with remarkable precision.

Tessa pushed her cart up the aisle. She lingered at the end to study the fall blankets hanging on the end cap before she turned the cart, and the next aisle came into view. They were walking away in the opposite direction, so Tessa only caught a glimpse of Nadine from the back. Tight black leggings. Long wheat blond hair. Hands that clutched the red plastic handle of the cart, smooth, manicured, and sporting a diamond ring. Two smaller bands rested on either side; one platinum, the other encrusted with diamonds. An eternity ring.

Nadine had not worn that ring three years ago. Of that, Tessa was certain. The one time they met in person (and met was a strong word for the casual, quick handshake they’d exchanged at the office holiday party), there had only been the simple metal band and the diamond. Tessa wondered at what point and for what reason Scott had gifted his wife another.

Tessa made a point of not looking at him as he introduced her to his wife. She had the luxury, three years ago, to be gracious as she waited for it all to fall apart. It was only a matter of time before Scott told Nadine. He made these promises to Tessa over dinner in a Chinese restaurant hidden down a side street in San Francisco. Together, they made these plans sprawled across the sheets of a king-size mattress in a hotel outside of Lancing. Tessa showed him the file with links to houses in the Seattle area.

There were obstacles. It wouldn’t be worth it if it were easy, after all. There was Caroline’s First Communion in the spring, followed by his mother’s 60th birthday in the summer, school starting in the fall, and then Christmas. She would wait through these, as she had waited out his father’s bypass surgery months earlier. He didn’t have to tell her it was not the time. She understood.

Tessa didn’t like to think about the end. Instead, as she pushed the fire engine red cart through the endless aisles, she thought about the beginning. The elevator was sleek and silent as it carried her up to the 15th floor. A flash of sunlight caught her attention. The door to Harold’s office in the east corner opened. Harold stood aside as a man stepped past him and introduced Tessa to Scott, the new regional manager. Scott carried a black leather satchel in his left hand, and there was no mistaking the glinting platinum ring on his finger. She had shivered but wasn’t sure if it was the man or the ring on his finger that drew her to him.

Breakfast meetings with the entire team dwindled into mid-morning coffee breaks as they reviewed margins, spreadsheets, and sales records. These turned into lunches. It never became dinner, as he had a family and always left the office at five on the dot. It was one of his stipulations when he was hired, Harold told her. He was a family man.

Tessa was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realize Nadine and the children had stopped moving next to the coffee makers. Nadine pulled her phone from her bag and lifted it to her ear. Caroline ran across the wide aisle to examine the cookies displayed on an endcap, while Charley bolted for the candy aisle.

“Hey.” Nadine listened to the caller as she kept her eyes on her kids. “I thought you were home tonight.” Nadine’s eyes closed, and her fingers gripped the red handle of the cart. “Yes, but—” Nadine waved to Charley, beckoning him closer, a gesture he ignored.

Nadine sighed. “I know. It’s been a lot these past few days. They’re driving me up a wall.”

Caroline glanced over her shoulder at her mother, a question in her eyes.

Nadine’s eyes met her daughter’s.

“Hold on.” She took the phone away from her ear. “Charley? Daddy’s on the phone. Come say hi.” Caroline was at her side in an instant, her brother close behind. Nadine flicked a manicured finger across the screen, and Tessa realized too late what was happening.

“Hey, kiddos.” Scott’s voice floated from the phone. Tessa remembered that voice whispering in her ear on dark nights and early mornings in distant cities.

“Daddy, when are you coming home?” Charley bounced up and down in his worn-out sneakers.

“Tomorrow, bud. I got caught up in a meeting and missed my flight.” Nadine’s eyes flicked to the phone and she glared at it, like the tiny piece of glass and metal was to blame for her husband’s delay. Nadine stayed silent as her husband spoke.

“No!” Charley stomped his foot, barely missing Nadine’s foot. Nadine hissed and pulled the phone back to her ear.

“He’s upset.” She listened, then spoke again. “I don’t know what you expected. You promised him baseball and ice cream tonight, and now I have to deal with him.” Nadine reached out to pull Charley close to her again, but he pushed her away.

“Why isn’t he coming home tonight?” Caroline asked.

“He missed his flight,” Nadine said in a clipped voice, not moving her mouth from the phone. “He’ll be home tomorrow.”

Scott said something Tessa couldn’t hear.

“They have camp.” There was a pause as she kept her eyes locked with Caroline’s. “He’ll pick you up from camp tomorrow. Okay?” Caroline nodded and drifted back to the cookies. Charley pouted, having plunked himself down on the metal shelf between boxes of Mr. Coffees and Keurigs. Nadine gave a curt goodbye and shut off her phone, stuffing it back into her bag.

“Guess we’re not important enough for him to catch his flight on time.” Charley looked at his mother with wide eyes. “Caroline? Let’s go.” Nadine shoved the cart forward with a little too much force.

This was the version of Nadine Tessa knew. Not from firsthand experience, of course, but from Scott’s stories. The first night, before everything happened, he confessed to Tessa that he was unhappy in his marriage. Scott told her all about his wife who was moody, cross, and sullen. They were both sleep-deprived, baby Charley six months old, but his wife wasn't interested in him anymore.

Tessa listened and offered all the sympathetic words a co-worker said in these situations. It continued like this. They traveled together once or twice a month, gone for two or three nights at a time. Scott complained about his wife. Tessa listened. Tessa couldn’t pinpoint when these conversations started to shift, only that one night over dinner, Scott didn’t mention his wife once.

That was the night he kissed her.

Soon, he told Tessa. He was going to end it soon. It wasn’t healthy for the children to have two parents who couldn’t stand each other. Tessa had shown him everything he wanted but didn’t have. This was the time when he made the promises, she searched for houses, and they made the plans.

Two months later, Tessa was called into Harold’s office and told she was being transferred to another office, effective immediately. Harold waited to give Tessa the news until the end of the workday, which meant Scott had already gone home for the day. When Tessa texted him, Scott replied with a simple, “I know. I’m sorry.”

Tessa never did figure out if Scott was sorry that she got transferred, or was sorry he got her transferred, or was sorry he had to end it. That message was the last she’d received from him.

It was risky to take the job back in Seattle. Even if three years had passed, living in New Mexico meant she never had to worry about running into Scott’s wife and kids. And she made it six months before it happened. Tessa was proud of herself for how she handled the situation. She didn’t confront Nadine. She didn’t try to talk to the children. She stayed in her lane.

At the front of the store, Tessa chose a checkout line three spaces away from Nadine and the children. As she placed her purchases on the revolving belt—a new bra in a shiny teal green, a set of 800-count floral sheets, and a mug—she kept track of Nadine out of the corner of her eye. Nadine remained focused on stacking her items on the belt. Tessa paid attention to what Nadine was buying. A new set of glass tumblers, two nightgowns, a new pair of sneakers for Charley (thank goodness), large bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and a personal massager. This Nadine stuffed under the nightgowns, and Tessa watched as she waited for them to appear so she could shove them into the red canvas bag.

The man who rang Tessa up handed her the receipt, and Tessa moved towards the exit. She only got as far as three counters before Nadine’s cart crashed into Tessa’s.

“Oh!” Nadine said. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

Tessa froze for an instant, then smiled. “Not your fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Tessa moved forward. “Have a good day.”

She watched as Nadine walked past and navigated her way across the puddles in the parking lot to get to a large black SUV. She remembered where she parked and headed towards her small sedan in the back of the lot.

As Tessa loaded her purchases into her car, she felt a prickle at the back of her neck. She turned to see Nadine staring at her, eyes narrowed, with the same disdain she’d given her phone earlier. Nadine lifted her chin in triumph. And flashed Tessa the smallest of smiles.