If that nine hundred eight dollars and forty cents isn’t settled by noon Friday, district policy requires turning every one of those names over to a private collection agency.”

“Twenty-three children,” I repeated.

“Several of them in Noah’s grade,” Principal Vance said.

He picked up his pen and made a small red check mark in the corner of Noah’s assistance file.

By ten fifteen I was pushing open the glass door of Heckert Auto Repair and walking into the customer lounge.

The room smelled of stale coffee, cold grease, and old exhaust.

Three local men sat in the plastic waiting chairs by the window holding paper cups while their trucks were up on the lifts.