I stared at the screen reading the message over and over again, unable to really believe the words. I had been invited to interview for a position with UPS. I chewed on my thumb nail, reading through the details. The background check would be ordered if I was selected as a candidate for hire. Could I pass it?

“Sophia, I got an interview,” I said to her, trying not to sound too excited.

“Really, where?” she asked, putting down her book and turning toward me.

“With UPS, do you think I have any hope of being hired?” I asked her. “I don’t want to get my hopes up. They haven’t done a background check yet.”

“Their requirements may be different, so it’s worth a shot. Worst that’ll happen is they tell you is no,” she said to me. She was right and I knew it. I had nothing to lose.

“You’re right, it’s on Saturday. Can you drop me off?” I asked her.

“Yes, baby. I’ll bring you to the interview. I’m so excited,” she said with a smile, bouncing up and down on the bed. “Maybe things are finally starting to turn around.”

“It’s a nice thought. I’ll ask at the interview what their requirements are,” I said, trying to think how to broach the topic of my arrest at the interview.

Sophia dropped me off at the door, but I felt like a slob. Some people wore suits, but others were more casual than me. I didn’t own a suit and didn’t have the money to buy one for interviews. I pieced together some clothes I salvaged from New Orleans, some gray pants and a golf shirt. The lined stretched out the door and I took my place at the end.