My husband was flipping through the channels. I usually just tune him and the television out. I…read moredon't care about sports shows and I'd rather chew off my own arm than to watch his favorite news channel. But then I heard "the new Bed Bath & Beyond is opening in Nashville". Slam on the breaks.
"Go back, go back", I yell to him from the kitchen. "Hurry up". Did I hear right? Oh my gosh! I did! BB&B is opening! In Nashville. Rejoice!
It had to be divine intervention. We just happened to be driving to Nashville on grand opening day. I convinced my driver (ok, my husband) to leave early enough so we could stop on our way to the airport. It took us almost 3 hours to make the trek from Huntsville to Brentwood. We'll stop on our way home he promised.
On the way home, our flight was delayed two hours. I swallowed my disappointment because I knew it was going to be 4 more, long weeks until I headed back up to Nashville.
Finally, today was that day! We left extra early, I wasn't about to let construction traffic mess up another chance of going to what I once thought was my long lost favorite store.
We made it. I nearly skipped into the store - quite a feat since I'm in a walking boot for a broken foot!
I couldn't restrain myself - I gushed to the first employee that I ran into how truly excited I was. She looked at me like I had a third eye in the middle of my forehead. She obviously was well past the excitement that I felt this glorious day.
I walked around the store, gently touching, lovingly touching the knick-knacks. The pillows. The pumpkin shaped candles. The cookware. But then that was it. My lip quivered a little when I realized that's all there was. The 50 shades of towels, the 29 types of bed pillows, the rows and rows of kitchen tools, even the 21 varieties of k-cups. Not there. No agonizing over vanilla latte or exotic chai. No 10 minutes of contemplating burgundy versus maroon. Barely any choices at all. Bed Bath and Beyond was now a mashup of a small Kirkland's and a tiny Home Goods store.
I did find a toilet paper holder that I wanted. There was a big sign outside that said that they still accept Bed Bath and Beyond coupons. What they mean are those relics found under the car seat. Those with grease marks from stray French fries. The ones with the torn corners and blotches of things I'd rather not know about. What they don't mean is BB&B online coupons. The online BB&B is apparently not the same store. I left my find at the register, I just couldn't bring myself to buy something at Bed Bath & Beyond without a coupon. It was just ingrained in me.
My skip was replaced by a little limp as I walked back to the car.
I quietly buckle my seat belt, adjust my sunglasses and restart my Waze app. With a defeated, nearly inaudible voice, I ask, "where do you want to stop for lunch, babe?"