His Store

Dan sighed and nodded toward the front entrance with his chin. "We might as well go ahead and get what we need. No sense in running across town. We need to think about where to stay tonight as well," he finished as he led the way toward the front doors. He didn't want to go in, especially after getting in trouble the previous day, but time was an important factor.

A couple of coworkers saw him enter from their stations at the front check lanes. Keith, a lanky teen, nodded to him as he tried to ring up a dog food bag half his height. Ms. Carmen stood by the Customer Service counter and caught his eye. Her gaze slid from him to his mother, one eyebrow raised as if in question. Whatever she saw made her look back at him before looking back toward the customer she was helping.

"I'll go get a few things," Laura said as they moved toward the rather expansive clothing section of the store.

"I'll grab some stuff off the clearance shelves. I think I heard we still had some of the Grabbs company brands back there. Socks... underwear," he muttered to himself as he wandered off.

It took an hour for Dan and Laura to finish shopping. Laura knew all of her sizes but lamented the limited selection of bras that would fit her. She had to choose two that were a little uncomfortable, one that barely fit, and one she wouldn't talk much about. Dan saw a lot of frilly accent in black at the bottom of his mother's pile. She said it fit well so she couldn't pass up the opportunity.

"Dan, what brings you in today?" Ms. Carmen asked as the mother and son headed up to the registers. She peered into the cart with knitted brows.

"We lost our home yesterday," Laura answered a little defensively.

Ms. Carmen blinked and looked between Dan and Laura. "Oh, I didn't know," she gasped. The expression looked genuine. "You two are alright?"

"It was while I was at work and mom was at an interview," Dan answered. A flash of something passed over Ms. Carmen's face before it was gone.

His boss stared him in the eyes before a small smile creased her lips. "I'm glad you're safe. You work tomorrow. Do you need time off? I can't imagine how I'd be feeling right now."

"No, ma'am. I need the money."

Ms. Carmen seemed to ponder something for a moment with pursed lips. "Come see me when you clock in tomorrow. I'll speak with the Store Manager to see if we can't do something for you. Sometimes corporate will do something for their employees, but sometimes they don't. It depends on the situation. I'll make some inquiries for you," she finished with a smile. "Might even be able to start a donation pool. It probably won't be much."

"I... thank you," Dan said after a moment. This wasn't what he expected.

"You're, Ms. Carmen? My son was telling me about you yesterday."

A bright smile greeted this news as Ms. Carmen turned to look at Laura. She shot an eyebrow at Dan before looking back at Laura. "Dan's done well while working here. I've noticed and a few others have as well. It's a pleasure working with him," she said. Dan wondered if she was lying through her teeth. "Now, I must be off. Kristy looks like she's going to blow a gasket at that customer. See you tomorrow, Dan. It was a pleasure to meet you, Dan's mom."

"Oh, sorry, this is my mom, Laura. Mom, this is Ms. Carmen," Dan introduced a little sheepishly.

"A pleasure," both women said at the same time with a smile.

Luckily, both mother and son had spent frugally. They still had just under half of the gift card left once they left the store. Keith, blushing, handled Laura's bras without comment, but it was obvious he found the experience awkward.

"You have a nice boss," Laura commented with a smile as Dan climbed into the driver's seat. "She seems friendly."

"She can really be a hard a... liner when she wants to be," Dan answered, covering his slip with a cough.

Laura rolled her eyes and lightly slapped his arm. She didn't have to correct him aloud. "She likes you," she continued.

Dan remember what his boss told him the previous day and wondered if his mom might be mistaken. "Eh, she's friendly with everyone," he tempered.

"If you say so, dear," Laura laughed. "Now... where are we going?"

The question seemed to punch any humor out of the conversation. "I... don't know," Dan admitted.