I forced a smile, though my stomach twisted with panic.
That twenty had been my safety net. But as I watched him shuffle out, his dog pressed loyally to his side, I felt strangely lighter—like I’d handed away more than money. I’d handed away despair.
At home, Tyler shook his head when I told him.
“Babe, we don’t have twenty dollars to give away,” he said, rubbing his forehead.
“I know,” I whispered. “But he looked like he hadn’t eaten in days. And his dog…”
Tyler sighed and pulled me close. “That’s why I love you. You’ve got a heart too big for your own good.”
That night, I went to bed hungry but at peace.
