Chapter 3 - The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself.

After we both signed off on the agreement, Meagan, Chloe, Mother and I all piled into the car while the others stayed back at the house, and we headed to the supermarket in the area. Along the way, I was scribbling down what I would need for the dinner I had planned out. I knew I’d blow all of their minds. My mother stayed silent during the drive, but my sisters chatted. I don’t think my overly dramatic act amused my mother in order to get my way; but to be honest, I didn’t care. Fuck her.

Pulling up into the supermarket parking lot, Mother parked the car. I grabbed the paper, and tore it out of my pad, and put it in my pocket and clipped my pen to the front of my shirt. I got out of the car almost bumping into someone.

“I’m sorry.” I said.

“It’s all right kid.” The man said, turning back to me.

His hair was short, he was wearing glasses, jeans, a t-shirt, and had a standard build. I knew his face. I knew who he was. But bumping into him here? What were the chances? My sisters and mother were already heading inside. I had to take the chance.

“Tony?” I said in wonder.

“Huh? How do you know my name kid?” he asked.

“Tony! It is you! Holy shit!” I said.

It was him. My wife’s cousin. This would work out to my benefit. While I couldn’t call her without raising suspicion, or alarms, I could have Tony do it. He was in constant contact with my mother-in-law.

“Yeah, but who’re you kid?” he asked.

I grabbed the paper out of my pocket, grabbed my pen and jotted a quick note:

Snape Killed Dumbledore with his wand. -- Void

I tore the bit of paper where I wrote it off and handed it to him, closing his hand and forcing him to grip it tightly.

“It’s a long story, and not something I can really tell you. But give this message to Funny Bunny. She’ll know what it means.” I said, using the pet name he called my wife. “Please, it’s super important. She’ll know what it means. Just please.” I begged.

“Sure kid.” Tony said to me, taken back from my comment.

I shake his hand and then head off to catch up with my sisters and mother. This had to work, it just had to. I walked up to one aisle, separating from the group, to find my ingredients. I began moving up and down the aisle until I find the sauces. Did we have sauce in the recipe? I thought back. It was 2009, right after my mentor had passed. Annie had moved in with me at Kane’s house. Kane had been a bit ... odd when I first met him. It’s like he was trying to impress everyone, including me. I had met him at Job Corps. He was about my height, heavier than me, considering I was a twig and he had a problem with being bipolar especially when his blackout rage hit. But, when you got to know Kane, he was a nice enough guy. When I first met him, he had an old laptop that he claimed was his mothers, with keys that had cigarette holes in them, and he said he didn’t have his because it was in the shop. I rolled my eyes at this, and frankly, it was an outright lie. When I met his mother, she had a much newer laptop, and that one had been a loner from a shop owner, where Kane had put in time. Now the owner was a crook, but that didn’t matter. I had moved in with Kane after completing at Job Corps, because none of my sisters wanted to lend a hand after I got out, as I needed to get on my feet. Job Corps didn’t even bother helping me find a place, they just wanted me out. I had found a real friend in Kane, and when Annie and I moved into Kane’s house, when she moved across the country to be with me, we had to survive on 20 bucks a week to eat, as funds were tight until I went back to college. We had made meals out of whatever we could find easy and cheap.

I set the can of sauce I held for a moment back down. I had to plan for dinner. Something the girls would love. Something that would prove that I could cook. For under 20 bucks. Yeah. That’s right, I could make something Annie and I had learned to survive with for a week back when we first got together and lived at his house. We wouldn’t meet him until years later and the first time was an experience but, we learned a few things, about ourselves, our love and survival. I headed for the canned vegetables. As much as I preferred fresh, this would have to do. I wasn’t about to do more math than I needed to at this point. I grabbed a couple cans of green beans, then a couple cans of corn, then a couple cans of carrots. After gathering an armful of veggies, I headed to the meats section and was surprised by the prices of the meats. It was more expensive in my time. I picked up a pound of beef before my mother and sisters approached me, with a cart full of items. Most of it was junk food. Potato chips, sodas, stuff that they didn’t know was bad for them. With heart disease in the family, they should’ve been eating healthier. We all should have. There was no reason for this fried and junk food crap.

I gave the cart a disgusted look.

“Well, I see you bought your snacks.” I said with cold indifference towards my mother.

Chloe frowned at this. I could see her anger building up. She was holding off a total tantrum. I ignored it for the time being. I turned back to the meat and grabbed more before placing the items in the cart. A pound and a half of beef, green beans, carrots and corn. Maybe a few spices would be needed. I walked off to grab them. I made it to the aisle pretty quickly. Chloe caught up to me.