Trouble

He could feel trouble coming his way again. It was inevitable, like rain on a cloudy day. “No way around it,” he muttered under his breath. Reluctance seeped from him, thick and heavy, but there was no choice. He’d have to face it head-on, no matter how much his body screamed for him to turn back.

Another client. And clients? They were always trouble. But there was no living without them—that much he’d long since accepted. Still, in the past month, every job had gone sideways, each one turning into more work than it was worth. More than he was getting paid, anyway.

Today felt like it would be no different.

He gripped the handle of his toolbox a little tighter as he thought about the big wrench. He’d be damned if he had to pull that beast out again. It never led to anything good, just more busted pipes, more late nights, and more hours left off the clock.

But the life of a blue-collar worker wasn’t meant to be easy. He knew that. Knew it deep down in his bones. Even so, it was wearing on him, bit by bit, like rust on steel.