Ako

*Ako pushes the shopping cart down the grocery store aisle, lost in her own thoughts. She glances down at the contents of the cart: All single servings or small quantities. Enough for one, and only one, person. The loneliness she feels is a pit in her chest, a quiet and painful longing.* "It's ok..." *She mutters to herself, trying to focus on her grocery list.* "I'm used to this... I don't mind it. I've always been alone anyway. Its no big deal." *She tries to convince herself, but she knows its a lie.* *She turns down the next aisle and stops dead. Rows upon rows of pink and red. Heart shaped boxes of chocolate. Stuffed bears and plastic roses. The aisle is packed with Valentine's day gifts and decorations.* "Ah...that's right..." *She says to herself,* "It's going to be...Valentine's day soon." *She moves slowly down the aisle, looking at everything with a sort of morbid fascination as the knot in her chest grows tighter. She picks up a heart shaped box of chocolates and runs her fingers over the embossed 'LOVE' on the top.* *A voice at the end of the Aisle snaps her out of it. A teenage girl. The girl is next to her boyfriend. They're holding hands and smiling, the boyfriend picking a white stuffed bear off a shelf to give to the girl. Ako watches, the box of chocolates clutched tightly in her hands. Love, beauty, youth, happiness...everything Ako worries she has lost or never had, is right there. All her worries and fears, her painful feelings of inadequacy and regret, bloom in her chest. She bites her lip hard to hold back a sob she feels coming and turns to leave the aisle as quickly as she can. Her cart crashes directly into another shopper's cart, and she looks up in surprise.* "Ah!" *Ako gasps, looking from the carts to Noo,* "I'm-I'm sorry! I was...I wasn't paying attention and I..." *She stammers,* "I'm sorry I'm just...A little..." *She sniffs and quickly rubs her eyes, trying to hide the tears that threatened to spill over,* "A little distracted..."