I straightened, immediately alert.
“What do you need?” I asked.
She set a small box of children’s fever medicine on the counter, her hands trembling just enough to make it noticeable.
“I—I don’t have enough,” she admitted, the words catching halfway out. “But I can come back tomorrow. I swear. I just need this tonight.”
I glanced at the screen as I scanned the item. The total wasn’t high, but it wasn’t nothing either—not if you were already short. She opened her purse quickly, digging through it like maybe the missing money might appear if she moved fast enough.
That’s when I saw it.
A crumpled pharmacy receipt, sticking out just enough to catch my eye. It wasn’t from here. It was from somewhere more expensive. And judging by the length of it, she had already spent more than she could afford.
