Wayne set his paper coffee cup down on the porch railing extremely slowly.

I could not help counting the arriving cars myself as they reached twelve, fifteen, and then eighteen vehicles.

People began stepping out into the cool air.

An elderly man in work overalls, a young mother carrying an infant in a chest wrap while holding a toddler’s hand, a middle aged man wearing a retail store vest fresh off a night shift, two teenage brothers carrying a wicker laundry basket together, a woman in medical scrubs, an elderly lady using a walking cane, a man with a prosthetic leg, and a family of five with young children wearing jackets over their pajamas.

They were all carrying containers including empty cardboard boxes, plastic buckets, cloth bags, and small utility wagons.