“That’s eighty-five dollars straight out of your paycheck.”

“I still have to go,” I said quietly.

“Corporate doesn’t care about your mother, Doll, they only care about the register tape,” Carl said.

He took his black pen from behind his ear and drew a neat line right through my name in the Saturday row.

“I’ll cover the morning shift myself, boss, but don’t let the district man see you hanging around the pumps on Monday.”

“I’ll be here Monday morning at six, I suppose,” I said.