“I don’t think I have enough,” he said, his voice tight. “Take off the beer.” The cashier nodded, removing the six-pack from the total. But when the new amount appeared—$32.73—Jacob felt his chest tighten further. Still over. “Wait,” Jacob said, fumbling through his wallet.
He pulled out a small stack of coupons and some spare change, his hands trembling slightly as he handed them to the cashier. “Can I use these to make up for the difference?” The cashier glanced at them, then shook her head apologetically.