Beside the faucet sat a heavy steel padlock in its clear plastic hardware store packaging.

It was a commercial-grade lock with a hardened shackle, the kind they use to lock up big construction sites.

Two brass keys were stuck to the back of the heavy metal body with black electrical tape.

I picked up my car keys and went out the back door without asking about the padlock.

I drove downtown with the windows down, letting the crisp autumn air blow through the car.

The fifty-dollar utility bill I’d found on the kitchen counter the day before was still sitting in my cup holder.