When our eyes met, I couldn’t just walk away. I mean, could you?

She shook her head.

“Today is my mom’s birthday, but she died four years ago.”

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

She took a shaky breath and continued,

She pointed toward the window.
“My dad is outside. He’s working.

He told me to wait here so I wouldn’t get cold. We only had enough for tea.”

I looked where she pointed.

Outside, a man in a thin jacket was shoveling snow from the sidewalk.

His hands were red and raw from the cold.

A city cleaner, doing everything he could to make ends meet.

My heart broke.