The Shirt With the Moon
I had purchased the navy-blue shirt four months before the hearing.
Nolan had become fascinated with the night sky after his class visited a science museum. He talked constantly about planets, distant stars, and the idea that light could travel for years before reaching Earth.
One evening, after cleaning an office building downtown, I passed a small department store that was preparing to close.
The shirt was hanging on a clearance rack.
It was simple, soft, and decorated with a tiny silver moon near the pocket.
I had eighteen dollars left until payday.
The shirt cost twelve.
I knew I should have purchased groceries instead.
But I imagined Nolan’s face when he saw it, and for once, I wanted to give him something that had not belonged to another child first.
I bought it and carried it home in a thin paper bag.
When I entered Nolan’s room, he appeared to be sleeping. I folded the shirt carefully and placed it on the chair near his bed.
I stood there longer than necessary, looking at him beneath his faded green blanket.
I was exhausted.
I was worried about rent.
I was also proud that, despite everything, I had brought something home that would make my son happy.
I smiled.
Then I quietly cried.
I did not know Nolan had been awake.
