I had a newfound respect for single parents, especially for single fathers.

The wheels on the shopping cart rattled loudly on the tiled floor. It had been a year since Caleb has been gone. Kyle had started to grow bigger and became rowdier. After countless sleepless nights and long shifts, shopping for groceries felt more like a challenge. It felt especially difficult since I had to make sure that Kyle didn't get into some kind of trouble.

"Dad, can we get this?" Kyle held up a large box. It was a box of sugary cereal.

"No, it's unhealthy."

"Pleaaaase." He stuck out his bottom lip.

"Maybe next time. We already got cereal at home and we need to finish that first."

He gave an exaggerated frown. "Okay."

My feet continued to drag along the ground. I managed to get everything except vegetables. I looked at the produce section and analyzed the prices of what was available. My mouth formed into a tight line as I see the prices have been raised. Money had been tight for a while. Raising a kid hasn't been easy at all.

I spotted a bag of potatoes and looked at the price. It seemed cheap enough and it would last us for a whole month.

"Kyle, what do you think of mashed potatoes?" I asked. I looked over to the cart to see if he was listening. "Kyle?"

Kyle was gone.

Panic slowly rose in my chest and I forgot about the cart. I went to search back into the aisles that I last saw him. I was relieved to see he was where I had last seen him. He was reaching for another box of cereal on a high shelf. I was about to approach him when another woman had the same idea I had and began to talk to him.

"Hello, there." The woman greeted. "Where's your mommy?"

The woman had a large shopping basket filled to the brim with groceries. She laid the basket on the ground and leaned down, so she was able to talk to him.

Kyle eyed the woman's brightly coloured scarf before looking at her. "Huh?"

The woman gave a concerned look. I jogged to Kyle. Kyle looked back and his eyes lit up. It quickly went away when he saw my stern expression and I patted his head.

"There you are, Kyle. Don't run off like that."

The woman looked relieved. She rose from her position and picked up her basket. "Oh, are you his babysitter?"

I glanced at Kyle. He avoided my gaze by running a finger along the store's shelves. I know I didn't look like him, but I wasn't exactly the whitest person either.

I gave an awkward cough. "He's my son."

The woman casually took more items into her basket and gave me a sympathetic smile. "Ah, the wife too busy to watch over him?"

I froze. "His other dad passed a year ago."

Her face became stone cold which was a contrast to the previous warm and happy expression that I had seen prior.

"Oh." I could tell by her flat tone she was judging me. She proceeded to leave without saying another word.

I tried to shrug off the interaction and looked back at Kyle. "Kyle, lets go."

"Why didn't the lady like us?" This kid seemed to be full of questions lately.

"Some people just think everyone needs a mommy. So, she thought you would be happier if you had a mommy," I explained.

"Would I be happier with a mommy?" I could feel my mouth go slightly dry at the question.

I paused for a moment, searching for an appropriate response. "Are you happy now?"

He put a finger on his chin to show that he was thinking and let a long humming sound. "Yes."

"Does that make you think you need a mommy?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Then you have your answer. I love you and you love me and that's all that matters because we're family." I patted his head and he smiled up at me.

We walked back to the cart and I made sure to put the potatoes into it before we left. Kyle ducked under my arms and placed his own hands on the shopping cart's handles, helping me push it.

"Ready to go?" I asked him.

"Yeah!"