“You can’t check the balance or take the money back if you change your mind down the road.”

“I understand how a bank account works, Brenda,” I said.

Brenda filled in the routing numbers in her neat, slanting handwriting.

“She came in here yesterday afternoon,” Brenda said quietly, looking down at the signature card.

“She was trying to cash a twenty-dollar check to buy baby formula.

Her hands were shaking so badly she dropped her pen on the floor twice.”

A hard knot rose in my throat, but I kept my hands still on my knees.