Our daughter loved them.
« Mommy, these fit perfectly! »
She’d outgrown her old pair.
She walked around the shoe aisle, smiling.
Then Jacob checked the price.
« No. Put them back. »
I thought he was joking.
« Jacob, her old boots are already too small. »
« She has sneakers. »
With tears welling up in my eyes, I said, « But it’s getting colder. »
He frowned.
« Put them back. »
« I told you to save money! I said no! »
Several shoppers turned toward us.
Then he added, « Remember, I’m the one who decides what we spend money on. »
I wanted the ground to swallow me.
Emma quietly removed the boots.
« It’s okay, Mommy. »
« I said no! »
Our daughter placed them back on the shelf.
That hurt more than Jacob’s shouting.
***
We drove home, and when we got there, my husband kept repeating that times were hard.
But something bothered me.
That hurt more than Jacob’s shouting.
