For a moment amongst their chatter, James contemplated the idea of simply acting like a baby, to hide in plain sight. This thought only put in his head the idea of surrender however and he knew that it wouldn’t work in making him feel any better. Instead, it would only anger him further. Reality then smacked him in the face as he felt the momentum of the stroller begin to push forward as the three ladies continued their conversation, glancing ahead at the mall, which for James, for the first time in his life, looked more like a video game boss’s castle, ominous and foreboding.
Ellen looked at the thin watch around her wrist as they crossed the parking lot. “Oh dear, we got here a little too fast,” she noted to Nancy and Susan. “The book club doesn’t start for another half-hour.”