To The Mall

Saturday morning came faster than Glenn had hoped. His mother, as promised, dragged him to the mall, barely giving him time to eat breakfast. The moment they stepped inside the department store, she marched straight to the men’s swimwear section.

Glenn followed reluctantly, already dreading the experience.

The two of them stood in front of racks of swim trunks, most of them long board shorts with flashy designs. Glenn scanned the shelves, hoping to find something—anything—that would fit him without making him look ridiculous. But there were barely any speedo-style briefs in sight.

His mother, however, seemed determined. She crouched down, digging through a lower rack before pulling out a plastic hanger containing a pair of bright red speedo-style briefs. She held them up with a victorious grin.

"Perfect!" she declared. "I love this color."

Glenn’s stomach dropped. He stared at the tiny piece of fabric in disbelief. "Isn’t that pair too small for me?"

His mother scoffed. "No, look," she said, flipping over the label with exaggerated enthusiasm. "The hanger says extra small. Should fit fine."

She even held up the tag so he could see it clearly, making sure to emphasize the words: extra small.

A few passersby glanced in Glenn’s direction, clearly overhearing the conversation. Glenn felt his face heat up.

"Okay…" he muttered. "But what do you want me to do with these?"

His mother gave him a look like he had just asked the dumbest question in the world. "Try them on, obviously," she said, pointing toward the fitting rooms.

Glenn felt his entire body stiffen. "It's okay," he said quickly, shaking his head. "I can just buy them and go. I’m sure they’ll fit."

His mother was already crossing her arms. "Oh, no. We’re not making the same mistake as last year."

Glenn’s stomach churned. He didn’t even remember what happened last year, but whatever it was, it was enough for his mother to raise her voice.

"I am not wasting money on something that doesn’t fit," she said, her tone sharp. "Go. Try them on. Now."

A few shoppers glanced over. Glenn wanted to disappear.

Defeated, he snatched the red speedo from her hands and trudged toward the fitting rooms.