The buyer was meeting me in a grocery store parking lot in a little town outside of Salem. The post had stipulated cash only, and I knew the man meeting me was a sure thing because the price I was asking was so low. It was just enough money for the used Toyota I’d also found on Craigslist.

When we arrived at the grocery store, my nerves were back in full force. What if the buyer didn’t show? What would I do with our bags in the thirty-minute lag between selling one car and buying the other? What if the seller didn’t show, and I was stranded in this tiny town without even a taxi service? What if we looked suspicious, and the police decided to stop? My mind raced with the possibilities.

I parked the car close to the store entrance and waited for the buyer. He’d said he’d be driving a late model green SUV, and I clocked him the minute he turned into the parking lot. When he and a woman pulled up and parked across from us, I felt a sense of relief. Meeting with a strange man, hours from home, made me a little nervous. Watching his lady grab a screaming infant from behind her seat calmed my nerves even more.

I quickly climbed out from the car and walked to stand in front of my girl’s door. While I was comforted to know the man had brought his family along, I wasn’t taking any chances.

“Hey! You Kate?” He walked toward me with his hand lifted in order to shake mine.

“That’s me,” I said with what I hoped was an easygoing smile.

“Man, she’s a beauty. Is your asking price the same as when we emailed?” he asked.

He seemed perplexed as he looked at my car that he’d probably expected to be trashed. It was far from trashed. Back in my old life, my car could have been called cherry. No crumbs marred the seats, no fingerprints were on the windows, and the rims sparkled in the late morning sunshine. I didn’t blame him for being confused. If I were buying a car far below Blue Book from someone I didn’t know, I would have been waiting for the other shoe to drop, too.

“Yep. That’s it. I’d just like to sell it. I’m not comfortable doing a test drive with you, so if you want it, you’re going to have to just, you know, buy it without driving it.” I tried to sound confident, but I wasn’t sure if this was going to work. “I’m sure you understand. I’ve got my girl in the car. I’m not driving around with a stranger.”

While I spoke, he nodded his head.

“Yep, no problem. With the amount you’re selling it for, and since you already drove it here, anything that could be wrong with it, I could easily fix, and I would still be getting a deal.”

His face reddened, and I was sure he was wishing back those last few words. Who in the world told someone they were selling something too cheap? Eh. It didn’t matter. I just wanted it gone.

“Okay then. Did you bring the cash?” I asked him impatiently. I wanted to get this transaction over with.

“Yep, it’s in the car with my wife. Give me just a second.”

He walked over to his wife’s window, and I watched them banter for a minute before I reached in my purse for the title. I wondered if they were genuinely that happy with each other or if this was a show put on for the outside world. I knew all too well the difference between what was shown in public and what went on behind closed doors. I knew how quickly a charming smile could turn to a scowl the second no one was looking. I repressed a shudder before walking back to meet him to exchange the title for cash. I breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t notice the name on the title.

Once we were done, I grabbed a grocery cart and piled our bags and my girl’s car seat inside. We watched him drive away with satisfaction. Well, I felt satisfaction anyway; the girl in my arms, sleeping on my shoulder, hadn’t woken up during the whole transaction.

We waited only fifteen minutes before I saw my new car pull into the parking lot. By this time, my girl was awake and begging to get down, so I sat her in the cart and ran my hand through her hair, hoping she’d be patient just a little longer. This transaction was the trickier of the two. I knew my car would be easy to sell without a test drive, but I was also going to have to buy this new car without testing it out first, which meant I was relying on the honesty of someone I hadn’t met. This car had to get us to where we were going, or we’d be screwed.

The woman who jumped out of my new Toyota was in her mid-fifties with salt-and-pepper hair in long dreadlocks down her back. She was wearing some type of multi-colored gypsy skirt, and as she walked toward me, she jingled as if she were wearing a hundred little bells.

I slowly stepped toward her as I watched her take in our appearance. I knew we looked weird. I was sure she’d never seen someone show up to buy a car with only a grocery cart filled with duffel bags and a toddler. However, she didn’t say a word. If I was judging her correctly, she had an almost knowing look on her face.

“Hi, are you Stargazer?” I asked hesitantly.

I had assumed that, for whatever reason, the name she used in her ad was an alias; however, looking at her now, it was probably her actual name. I could feel the corners of my eyes getting tight, and I was hoping that we could get this over with quickly. Between the stress of exchanging cars and the physical exertion of moving around our bags, my body was beginning to revolt. At this point, I wanted to buy the car, so I could just get in and sit down.

“Hello, there!” she called back. “You must be Lacey! Want to come take a look at my baby?”

“Yep, that’s me! I’ll be right there,” I answered her, nodding my head, as I struggled to push our bulging cart across the pavement, my movements stiff and awkward.