WHAT SHOULD
ADAM DO?

Before leaving, Adam made a sandwich from what was already in the kitchen and wrapped it in greaseproof paper rather than buying something on the way. He added a piece of fruit, filled his bottle, and stood for a moment with his wallet open on the counter.

The notes were still there. The bank balance was unchanged. Nothing looked comfortable, exactly, but there was no reason to turn a normal workday into another small purchase he would have to justify later. He checked his bag twice—lunch, bottle, charger, work pass—then locked the flat.

At the tram stop, the service board changed again. The next tram was showing a delay of around fifteen minutes because of an operational problem further along the line. Adam read the notice, looked down the road, and then checked the time. He still had a little margin before his shift, though not enough to waste casually.

His hand went to the lunch in his bag. It was a small thing, and not especially exciting, but it meant one decision had already been made for him. He would not need to queue somewhere near work, spend money because he was hungry, or arrive with less cash and the same tiredness.

A tram moved past on the opposite line, nearly empty. Adam shifted his weight, kept his work bag close, and watched the minutes count down. The morning was less smooth than he had planned, but at least it was not asking him to solve everything at once.