He waited outside the laundromat for twenty minutes before stepping in. A man behind the counter asked if he was here for the temp role. Joshua nodded. They spoke briefly. The man asked if he could handle long shifts. Joshua said, “Yes.” That was it. “Trial run. Tomorrow. Six a.m. sharp.”
Outside, Joshua let out a long breath. Not joy, not victory—but something close. He changed out of the church clothes behind a delivery van, folded them carefully, and placed them in a plastic bag to keep clean. He couldn’t afford to get them dirty before the trial day tomorrow.