It is hard to say goodbye, especially when you don't have the chance

Charlie trying on his new rain coat

I went to the Mall today. At our meeting on the 17th, Neil said that we could wear costumes if we were working on Halloween. So, I pre-shopped online and found that Wet Seal had a cute Alice in Wonderland costume for $22, which was great because I can't afford to spend very much. When I arrived at the store, they did not have the one I wanted. I walked over to Hot Topic, but all of the costumes there were around $50 or more. Not wanting to go home completely empty handed, I decided to stop by Old Navy on my way home to get a scarf I had seen online. They did not have the one I wanted, so I settled for a different one. I was in the checkout line when I spotted some doggie stuff, so I ventured over to see what I could find. I found a cute bag dispenser for when Charlie and I go for walks, a cute plaid collar, a rain jacket which he needs terribly, and an adorable toy that was marked down to $1.99. Very pleased with my shopping therapy, I headed home, excited to show Charlie his new things. The first thing I did was try his rain coat on him. He looked so adorable, I had to take a couple of pictures. Then I tried his collar on him to make sure it fit. It did, and he looked handsome. Finally, it was time for the fun part. I was going to give him his toy, but when I searched through the bag, it was not there. So, Charlie and I got in the car and drove back to Old Navy. The toy had apparently fallen off of the counter while she was placing the items in the bag. She was very apologetic, but I assured her it was not a problem. I decided since we were right next door to work, I would see if Rick, one of the assistant managers, was working. He loves Charlie, and I was sure he would appreciate the surprise visit. The first person I saw was Justin, so I asked him if Rick was there. He said, "No, Rick is gone". The way he said it made me feel like I needed to explain myself, so I told him I never knew who was working, or when and was about to explain why when he interrupted by saying that Rick had been transferred to another store. I was sure he was just joking with me. I stood there until he finished helping a customer and then asked him if he was just pulling my leg or was he serious. He said he was serious, and I asked him "Since when?". He thought for a moment and said, "Since yesterday". He said it sucked, that they didn't tell anyone in advance, not even Rick. I was so upset, I had to pull my sun glasses down before I left the store, just so people couldn't see my eyes filling up with tears. By the time I made it to the car, tears were streaming down my face. I wish I had the chance to tell him goodbye before he left. More than that, I wish I didn't get attached to people so easily.