He sat in his driver's seat, the heater rattling, and felt something cold settle in his chest. Not just the temperature. He had rent due in three days. His brake pads were screaming. And this woman, with her farmhouse and her cashmere and her chaos, had just thanked him for being a "lifesaver" while giving him nothing.

He walked back to his car, shivering, and checked the receipt on his app.

A woman in her late 30s, wearing a cashmere cardigan and a stressed smile, answered. "Pizza guy! Finally. The kids are feral."