Because he had one set of soaked sneakers in the dryer at home and the second in the washer, Michael had dressed up. His dress shoes went well with a nice pair of dress slacks, and he wore a dress shirt and tie beneath his sweater. That outfit worked with the stylish dress his mother wore, though her outfit wasn't as warm as his. When they walked in to the gardening section of the Wal-Mart, though, they drew a few startled looks.
They quickly grabbed a pair of broad snow shovels. Valerie selected a slightly smaller one than her son had, making sure it was comfortable in her grasp. They strolled through the store, basking in the warmth and brightness as they filled their shopping cart with warm gloves, thick coats, winter hats, snow pants and sweat shirts. Michael thought the snow boots we
