The Lost Phone

Mia is at a small supermarket near her flat. She buys bread, apples, and milk. She pays with her card. She puts her shopping in her bag and leaves the receipt on the counter.

Outside the shop, Mia wants to call her brother. Her phone is not in her pocket. It is not in her bag. She stops near the window and takes a slow breath.

Mia goes back to the cashier. “I can’t find my phone,” she says. The cashier smiles and points to the card reader. “Look there.”

Mia sees her black phone beside the card reader. It is under the long receipt. Mia laughs. She left her phone on the counter when she paid.

“Thank you,” Mia says. She puts the phone in a small pocket with a zip. Then she walks home. This time she knows where her phone is.