When I returned later that morning to take over for the day, Mack greeted me with a shy smile.
“Good morning. Sleep well?”
“I got some, yeah. I’ll get more later.” I took off my jacket and gloves and sat at the desk. “All quiet last night?”
“Mostly. A few cars were parked in the lot behind us for a while, but that was all. The occupants were a little rowdy, but harmless. I let them be.”
“Okay.”
He got up and grabbed his coat and the gloves he’d borrowed from me. I considered them his now.
“Oh, hey, I have something for you.” I took a package out of my coat pocket. “It’s not much, but I thought you might need it.”
He took the gift slowly, almost as if he was afraid it wasn’t real. “Charlie, you didn’t have to…I don’t have anything for you.”
“I don’t need anything. Go on, open it.”
