Game Stop Drama

Every weekend I take #1 with me to do errands. Sometimes, as part of our outing, we stop at Game Stop and let him walk around the store, play some of the games and look at all the new video games. I love the staff at Game Stop because they love their jobs and know all the kids. #1 is comfortable asking them questions and they gladly engage and answer him.

This week, I told him the order of the errands. There were four stops and Game Stop was our second stop.

But when we pulled up to the store, it was gone. There was just an empty shell of the store that used to be. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. And when he realized it wasn't there, he fell into his default mode, "OH NOOOOO! YOU MEAN IT'S GONE FOREVER? My precious Game Stop, you can't be gone. Where are you? ARE YOU GONE FOREVER? Oh Mom, THIS IS WORST DAY OF MY LIFE."

I reassured him, "It's ok, there are two other locations. Let's do the third errand and then we'll go to the other one."  We got to Home Depot and he continued to lament on such a tragedy. He couldn't focus on the task and just wondered aimlessly around the store saying, "Game Stop is gone forever. I will never see my favorite store again."

I drove three miles north to the next location. We parked, got out of the car and discovered that store was also gone and another store was in it's place. Crap, crap, crap. What the hell? And then he absolutely lost it. He threw himself on the ground. I reminded him there was still one store we could go to and I bribed him with brownies to get up. Glad there weren't a lot of people around to stare.

We got back in the car and I was nervous. I had one more shot at this and if we failed, then it would be bad. There is one more store five miles in the opposite direction. We are going. Why the hell are they closed?

I told him, "I know this is really hard. Let's go to the other one and if it's not open, you can eat whatever is left of the brownies when we get home." It did calm him a bit, but the questions kept coming. "IS IT GONE FOREVER?????"

We were only supposed to be out an hour but we drove south to the location of the last store. When we pulled in the parking lot, #1 spotted the store, intact and open. With a nervous laugh and a sign of relief, he said, "Mom, it's here. I am so happy." He got out of the car, walked to the door and before he entered he said, "My precious Game Stop, I thought I lost you forever" and then kissed the window.

We walked in and after he gave one of the game displays a hug, he approached the manager and said, "I'm so glad you're here". And then he demanded answers. "Why are my stores closed? And then he ran off to inspect the store before he could answer.

The manager explained that there was a conflict between the landlord and Game Stop corporate so the store closed and will reopen in another location in the future.

We saw one of the staff members from our store and he told us it had closed right after our last visit two weeks ago. As I was talking to him, #1 walked up to me and placed a Disney Infinity character in my hand, "Here ya go, Mom. Are we getting this?"

"Yea buddy, we can get this", I replied. "This was a rough evening for you and you handled it well. At least now, you don't need those brownies."

He stopped in his tracks, turned around, looked at me and said, "Ah, Mom, I still want those brownies." Direct eye contact.

I smiled and said, "Ok buddy, but just one."
He smiled and ran off to look at another display.

Whew, Crisis averted this time. I can put the cape away now.

Dear Game Stop, please reopen your store in my town quickly. Sincerely, Shari