Chapter 30

She dug through a drawer in a filing cabinet behind the counter, coming up with the requisite forms, handed him a pen, and he filled them out.

When he finished and handed them back, he almost cried in relief. Not that he was a man given to crying, but knowing he had a job after all these years almost overwhelmed him.

She must have seen something in his expression because she took his hand, saying, “This means a great deal to you, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. Now I can have a real life, and in time a place of my own.” He paused, then added, “Until recently I was, well, not happy, but at least resigned to how I’ve been living. I convinced myself being my own man was a good thing, if that makes sense.”