I tried to avoid his eyes. They were intent. They questioned, but I had no answer.

I quietly slipped the wallet back into the pocket of his pants. Well worn, they had seen better days… But so had we.

I had known, without even looking, that the wallet was empty.

Susan Gale Wickes spent many years in the newspaper industry, but is now devoting her time and energy to writing poetry and short stories. She has been published in Haiku Journal, Sleeve, and 50-Word Stories.