Ally stared at the clock. ‘8:45 a.m.,’ she thought. ‘Uncle Tom is late again.’

Ally tapped her pen against the notebook on her desk. ‘I wish Uncle Tom would buy me a computer,’ she thought. ‘It would make my job so much easier.’

At 11:45 a.m., the office phone rang.

Ally snatched the phone up and held it to her ear. “Uncle Tom,” she said. “Are you on your way? Where have you been? You’re almost 4 hours late!”

Ally almost dropped the phone when she heard her mom’s voice coming through the line.

“No, Mom,” Ally said. “Uncle Tom isn’t in yet.”

Ally’s mom had a lot to say about that.

“Yes, Mom,” Ally said. “I’m keeping an eye out for his business just like I promised I would, but I really wish I’d chosen another summer job. With the way Uncle Tom treats his business, I’m not likely to even get a pay check to help out with school.”

Ally half listened to her mom’s reply. She tried to drone out as much of her mom’s guilt trips as she could.

“Yes, Mom,” Ally said. “Of course I know that family is the most important.”

As Ally was putting the phone back, the office door opened.

“Uncle—“ Ally began. She abruptly shut her mouth when a well-dressed middle-aged woman walked into the room. “How can I help you?” Ally asked.

The woman marched up to Ally’s desk, placed her hands on the edges and leaned over, getting into Ally’s space and very close to her face.

Ally stared at her cooly. ‘I’m not going to be intimidated by someone I don’t even know,’ Ally thought.

“Please sit,” Ally said, pointing to a chair.

The woman looked at the chair and stuck up her nose.

“Please sit,” Ally repeated. “I insist.”

The woman sat in the chair.

“How can I help you?” Ally asked.

“I want to see Tom Marina right now,” the woman said. “I want to see him right now. Or I want my money back right now. If you can’t help me, I’m going to make sure this place gets shut down.”

Ally knew Uncle Tom didn’t keep any money in the office, and she felt almost 100% certain that Uncle Tom had already spent this woman’s money. Ally had no money to give this woman.

“Where is Tom Marina?” the woman asked.

Ally didn’t know where Uncle Tom was or when he would get there.

“I’m Tom Marina,” Ally said. She wasn’t sure why she’d said it or why she had lied. She only knew that she wasn’t going to let some stranger sabotage her uncle’s business.

“You’re Tom Marina,” the woman repeated. She looked down her nose at Ally.

“Yes,” Ally said. “Tom is short for Thomasina.”

“You’re a child,” the woman said.

“I just look young,” Ally said.

At that moment, the office door opened.

Uncle Tom walked in.

“Uncle Tom,” Ally said.

“Uncle Tom?” the woman repeated.

“Yes,” Ally said. “I was named after my Uncle Tom, and he’s probably the one that you want to see.”

Uncle Tom raised his eyebrows. “Yes, Tom?” he said. “Thank you for greeting our customer for me.”

“I want to talk,” the woman said to Uncle Tom.

“Let’s talk in private,” Uncle Tom said. He walked her into his office.

While, Uncle Tom talked to the woman, Ally fidgeted at her desk. She didn’t know how Uncle Tom was going to react to her having pretended to be him. She didn’t know how to explain herself. ‘Perhaps if I just apologize sincerely, then he will forgive me,’ Ally thought.

The door to Uncle Tom’s office opened.

Uncle Tom walked the woman out of his office and closed the door. He looked at Ally.

“It’s all your fault, Uncle Tom,” Ally said. “If you had just come to work on time, then I never would have been forced to impersonate you.”