It had been two full minutes since Kit had disappeared into the fierce crowded jungle of the mall, and now Ricky was starting to admit to himself that he was a bit worried about where she could have gotten to. It was already four-thirty, and the mall would be closing in a matter of minutes, and knowing his Kitty, she'd probably gotten lost or ducked into a store and gotten too engrossed in something and what if she was still standing there when they started to lock the gates?

Now he was really worried.

Without further thought, he began to push through the crowd, apologizing here and shoving there, until he reached the tall, gray-clad security guard. At his touch, the man turned and gave him a knowing look.

"Lost your girl?"

"Again," Ricky groaned, glad that it was the usual man who stood by New York and Company, instead of a new one who wouldn't have understood the severity of the situation at all. But the guard merely chuckled and clapped the worried young man on the back.

"Don't worry, Rick. We'll find your Kitty."

She was standing in front of the windows of Macy's, face pressed comically against the glass, fogging it up and making a nice print of her nose. Her petite frame was bent over in a classic Peeping Tom posture, and her bright red hoodie---another foiled plan by Ricky to be able to find her---was pulled over her shock of short blonde hair.

For a moment, as the guard smiled behind him, Ricky allowed himself a bit of relief. He'd been sure that he would find her crying, or at least upset enough that it would take an hour or so to calm her down properly, or maybe even a bribe of ice cream. To see her safe and happy was more than he had wished for as they'd rushed through the mall in search of her.

Then, he sighed lovingly and stepped forward to touch the twenty--two-year-old's cotton-clad shoulder.

"Kitty, why did you run off like that?"

Kit jumped and turned, her sky blue eyes wide with fright. Then, when she saw who it was, she beamed brightly, with a smile that would make most models cringe with envy.

"Oh, Ricky!"

To his surprise, she nearly jumped on him, latching her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

"I thought you were behind me," she mumbled as he began to stroke her hair, "and then I looked back and you weren't there, but I didn't cry and I kept walking to see where you were, and then I ended up here, and look Ricky! Isn't that dress beautiful?"

Ricky kissed the top of her head, and then gave the guard a grateful look. The man didn't say anything in response, just smiled and touched the tip of his baseball cap, before sauntering off to help another man or woman in need.

"Yes, it's gorgeous, sweetheart, but I don't have any money on me right now. Maybe when Mom comes tomorrow, she'll be willing to buy it for you."

Almost instantly, when Kit pulled away and gave him a blank look, Ricky knew he'd made a big faux pas. You never told Kit no when she saw something she adored, not unless you wanted a circus of one and a crowd of people watching as your child-minded wife made a fool of herself.

Darn it...did he have a credit card at least? Maybe he could just buy it and give it back tomorrow when she'd forgotten about it...

Kit looked slowly from her husband's stricken face, to the beautiful tie-dyed t-shirt dress that gazed back at her from the window, and then said brightly, "Okay!" before marching towards the mall exit.

Wow. Ricky stared after his wife's marching figure for a moment before running to catch up to her.

"Kit, honey, are you okay? You sure you want to leave the dress? I think I have my credit card."

Kit turned and gave him her best dimpled smile, before leaning up on her tippy-toes to kiss him on his scruffy cheek. He couldn't help but let one of the corners of his mouth raise up to face the ceiling. She was just too cute; even if she tore into him now, that little kiss would be so worth it.

"I don't need the dress," she whispered sweetly, before pulling away to smile again at her very distracted and bemused-looking husband. "I have you, don't I?"

Then, she was skipping away, back on her trail towards the car and then home, and Ricky was still standing there, falling as hopelessly in love all over again as he did that first day when he saw her, standing in the middle of a crowded restaurant, smiling at him, and opening her mouth to say...

"Ricky!"

Kit was standing at the far end of the mall now---God only knew how she'd gotten there so fast---with her hands cupped around her mouth.

"Just because I love you doesn't mean that you'll get away with everything! Come and take me home! I'm tired!"

With the tired but utterly loving sigh of a husband who knows that he's whipped and doesn't care, Ricky jogged up to take Kit's hand and smile down at her playfully disapproving face. He'd better enjoy this mood for as long as possible, because God only knew what would happen when his mother arrived the next day.

"Whatever you want, Kit."

This is an excerpt of sorts from a story idea I wanted to write, about this newly married girl who gets into a car accident and her brain gets affected so she has the temperament of a child sometimes as well as a grown woman, and how her husband deals with her.

What do you think?