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street, and ducked into a candy shop.
    It had been a while since I’d been downtown, but I was fairly sure that shop was pretty massive. It had sections that were completely out of view of the front register. That meant there were cameras in there. I was hoping the cameras weren’t taping. It was still early in the day and without crowds of tourists, I was hoping the attendant would be very bored. If no one noticed, maybe it could still work.
    I took my time crossing the street, not wanting to catch my target just inside the door and bump into him too soon.
    When I entered the shop, I needed to stop and let my eyes adjust to the dimness. The store was almost cold with the air conditioner on full blast. I tucked my arms around my stomach, trying to recapture some of my own body heat. That was the sucky part about the weather in early October in South Carolina. A tad too warm in the sun, chill in the shadows. It usually gave me a headache.
    The shop had shelves starting at stomach level and reaching up over my head. Displays were covered in packages of candy and gift baskets and little trinket toys to capture the attention of kids. The scent of sugar and nuts and chocolate was heavy.
    My stomach growled. I nearly growled back at it for drawing needless attention. One doughnut hadn’t been enough. I should have followed my own advice and eaten a banana, although I was as sick of those as Wil was. I should have eaten another doughnut. I should have taken the whole box. I could have eaten them all. My hunger validated our needs. I had to make this pull. I had to run home with whatever I could get. I needed something other than oatmeal tonight.
    The old man hovered over a display that had several bowls of hard candies, with plastic scoops and a scale for measuring out amounts. He stuck his hand into one of the bowls, and picked out a red cream hard candy and ate it. He tilted his head, his mouth moving as if he’d never tasted that flavor before and was considering it.
    Must be nice to have so much money and free time to linger in a candy shop on a work day. I pretended to do the same thing, lingering over a couple of bins of chocolates, trying to find something that sparked my interest. I picked out one, a chocolate truffle. I cast a glance around and popped it into my mouth.
    I nearly forgot my plan to pick up his wallet, because the mix of flavor, of sweet soft center, and milk chocolate set my stomach into turning. I’d had plain oatmeal and apples and bananas for so long that the sudden shift in flavors was overwhelming. Why couldn’t I work in a candy store?
    Reluctantly, I pulled away from the chocolate displays. I would have picked out every single one to ‘taste’ and probably would have gotten chased out by the store clerk if I’d been spotted.
    As if reading my mind that I was hoping he’d hurry, the old man collected a bag of the red cream candies, and a gold box from a chocolate display. I tracked him out of the corner of my eye as to not alert him I was paying attention. I lingered by the door, as if checking out a candy display before leaving the store. He pulled out his wallet within my eyesight. He exposed it, showing me the ample amounts of cash inside. He paid for his purchase in the little alcove where the attendant was.
    This was perfect. I’d never taken more than sixty from a wallet before as a general rule. I felt this time I might break my own rules. He had plenty, and I needed to get back.
    This is the last one. I made myself promise to not do this again. This was it. After, I’d find something else to do. I’d check with the local bars again for a job. I’d beg on the street. I just had to keep Wil in school. I told myself my reasons over and over again, as if that could ever make me feel better. I wasn’t selling my body. I hadn’t been that desperate yet. I didn’t want to get to that point.
    The old man approached, and time slowed to a crawl. Questioning myself. Asking the old man