"My Store."

Dan answered as he sighed and nodded toward the front entrance with his chin. He looked like he might change his mind at any moment.

"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. His shoulders seemed tight as he strode forward.

Laura always liked going in her son's store. She knew it bothered him to have his mom visit his work, but she liked to see the people he worked with. It also helped that she always found a new shirt or jeans that she'd love to wear. "I'll go get a few things," Laura said as they moved toward the 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," Dan 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 honestly felt sexy in, if the strap didn't cut into her shoulders.

"Dan, what brings you in today?" a slightly accented woman asked as the mother and son headed up to the registers. She peered into the cart with knitted brows. Her bright blue eyes locked with Laura and the woman seemed to be looking her over.

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

The manager, for that is what she had to be, blinked and looked between Dan and Laura. "Oh, I didn't know," she gasped. "You two are alright?"

"It was while I was at work and mom was at an interview," Dan answered.

Laura had a chance to glance down at the woman's name tag. Carmen. Ah, it was her son's manager. The striking woman stared Dan in the eyes for an uncomfortable moment 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. "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. He seemed lost for words.

"You're, Ms. Carmen? My son was telling me about you yesterday." Laura greeted, trying to guage what level of interest this older woman had for her son.

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 looked a little pale. "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. Laura watched Carmen saunter off, her hips moving a little more than they strickly needed to. She glanced at her son and noticed he hadn't seen his boss' display.

Luckily, both mother and son had spent frugally. They still had just under half of the gift card left once they left the store. The young man at the register blushed as he handled Laura's bras without comment. She wanted to smile, but it was obvious the cashier 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.

"Eh, she's friendly with everyone." He sounded hesitant.

"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.