EPILOGUE: Paid in Full
One year later, Sophie stood in our kitchen wearing a backpack and a brand-new pair of school shoes.
She looked up at me.
“Remember when I promised to pay you back?”
I laughed.
“You were five.”
“I still remember.”
She wrapped her arms around me.
“I paid you back.”
“How?”
She smiled.
“You bought me shoes.”
Then she pointed to my chest.
“And I gave you a family.”
For a moment, I couldn’t speak.
Because she was right.
The best investment I had ever made wasn’t in a company.
It wasn’t in real estate.
It wasn’t in the stock market.
It was forty-five dollars spent on a little girl who needed shoes.
And in return, she gave meaning to a life that had been missing it all along.
Note: This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered. Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher disclaim accuracy, liability, and responsibility for interpretations or reliance. All images are for illustration purposes only.
