Patrick stood frozen in the parking lot, the sting of the girls’ laughter still ringing in his ears. He felt small, insignificant—a grown hard-working man reduced to nothing by a couple of entitled strangers and a few cruel words.
Twenty agonizing minutes passed as Patrick circled the lot, his anxiety deepening with every second. He knew the clock was ticking, that his precious time with Lily was slipping away, yet he was powerless to stop it.