Four deliveries here, one across the street, business pick-ups, and then she’d start on her residential deliveries, which she always did last. MJ— nobody called her by her given name other than her mother and then only when she was angry—loved her job. It was hard work, both physically and mentally, especially around the holiday season, but she loved the challenge. It took organization, timing, muscle, and people skills didn’t hurt. She liked that she did her job alone, but got to chat a little bit with dozens of different people a day. The early fall afternoon was gorgeous. Sunny, not too hot, not too cool. MJ loaded up her wheeled cart, deciding she had the time to walk the deliveries rather than drive from loading dock to loading dock. The strip mall was small enough and her load wasn’t huge; the fresh air felt good as it filled her lungs. “Hey, MJ.” The young man at the Verizon store was cute, in a nerdy kind of way. His skinny body clothed in dress slacks, an oxford, and a tie, gave him the look of a boy trying on his dad’s work clothes.
