“I don’t have no clothes on,” Justin said, and then Asher realized he was still wearing sleeping clothes: cotton shorts and a ratty Bible camp tee shirt, barefooted. But he wasn’t about to leave him in the car while he went into the store. He bit his tongue against the desire to tell him to just come on, that they didn’t have much time. Asher didn’t want to make his child feel like he was living life on the run, although that’s exactly what they were doing.

“There’s nobody else here,” Asher said, pawing through the bag of clothes he had packed, all brand-new. He found a pair of flip-flops. “Slip these on and let’s run in right quick. You look fine.”

“You always say people look lazy, going in stores in their sleeping clothes.”

“It’s real early, though, Justin,” Asher said, but Justin had set his jaw in defiance. Asher dug down into the bag and plucked out a pair of khaki shorts and a tee shirt. Holding the clothes reminded Asher of how little Justin was for his age. Like a little old man.

“Put these on, then,” Asher prodded, and glanced around the empty parking lot. “Hurry, now. Nobody’ll see you.”

Asher stood outside the car with his back to the driver’s door to give Justin the illusion he was on the lookout for anyone who might see him changing. Justin had always been very modest.

The day had bloomed completely. The cicadas were silent, resting up for the punishing heat the day promised, when they would sing their screaming songs, letting everyone know they were alive.

The red of morning had paled into a worn blue. The color of Luke’s eyes. His brother had been famous around home for his eyes. Girls had always been crazy over him to no success, saying he looked like Paul Newman.

Justin hopped out of the Jeep.

“Now you’re looking sharp,” Asher said, and tousled his hair. “You like that new shirt?”

Justin nodded, mumbled “Mmm-hmmm” in a not half-hearted way.

A young woman was working in the rear of the store, but their arrival brought her back to the cash register. She smiled at Asher as she went behind the counter, her dangling earrings pulling her lobes long and slender when she nodded. The morning news blared from a small television.

Justin scampered off down the aisle on the hunt for junk food.