Junior nodded. “Yes, sir. If it’s okay with you, I’ll be bringing this right back as soon as I get it done.”

“Sure,” Wilson said, and then watched him leave. He didn’t know what had transpired to make it happen, but Junior Knox had obviously experienced some kind of revelation.

Maybe it was the loss of his mother that had prompted him to change, but whatever it was, he wanted to be the first person in Blessings to give the young man a chance.

About thirty minutes later, Junior came back in with his application and met a young woman carrying a baby, who was going out.

“Morning,” Junior said.

The young woman looked startled that he’d spoken, and then nodded shyly and kept walking.

Junior didn’t know her name, but he knew she lived in the Bottoms and had been part of the big renovation that had happened there.

He hurried back to the service desk and handed the application to Wilson.

“Here you go, Wilson, and thanks.”

“Sure thing,” Wilson said.

“Oh, who was that young woman who just left? She was carrying a little boy. She lives in the Bottoms.”

“Oh, you must mean Barrie Lemons. She has two kids. One school age, and then the little guy. She was having a rough go of it until Cathy Terry rebuilt all those houses.”

“Yeah, my brother Ray helped roof some of those houses,” Junior said. “Well, I’d better get going. Thanks again.”

He started to walk off and Wilson called him back.

“Hey, Junior?”

Junior stopped and turned around. “Yes, sir?”

“Can you start work tomorrow?”

Junior’s eyes widened. “Yes, sir!”

“It’s stocking shelves and sacking groceries. Forty-hour week. Pay is ten-fifty per hour. Payday is every two weeks. Two days off. Time and a half for overtime…if you want it.”

Junior felt like crying.

He walked back to the customer service desk, his voice shaking.

“I didn’t expect this, but I sure appreciate it,” he said.

Wilson shrugged. “I’m taking a chance here and we both know it. Don’t let me down.”

Junior kept nodding. “I won’t, sir. I won’t let you down.”

“From 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with an hour off for lunch. We’ll go through the routine tomorrow morning after you clock in. Just come to the service desk first and we’ll get you started.”

“Thank you, Wilson. Thank you so much. I won’t let you down, I promise.”

Junior walked out in disbelief. It was a sign. This was it. The chance he’d been waiting for. He had a purpose. And he had a freaking job. By the time he got back in his car, he felt like crying, but he laughed instead. Next stop, the Blessings library to find out about classes for getting his GED.