“She’s at work. She cleans offices during the night and works mornings at the diner,” Lucy said. “She doesn’t know I came here.”
Henry nodded and listened quietly. He told her that he had grown up poor himself and that his mother had once borrowed food from neighbors when he was little. “Someone believed in us when we had nothing,” he said. “That’s why I try to do the same now.”
That evening, Henry walked Lucy home. The small apartment was dimly lit and cold. A few broken toys lay near the wall, and the air smelled faintly of soap. When Lucy’s mother, Rachel, arrived, she was startled to see a stranger in her living room.
Henry explained what had happened at the store. Rachel’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry,” she said quickly. “Please don’t report her. I’ll pay you back.”
“No one is in trouble,” Henry said gently. “You’re doing everything you can. Let me help.”
Over the next few weeks, Henry arranged for grocery deliveries to their home. He helped Rachel find a better job as a cleaning supervisor at one of his company’s offices. For Lucy, he offered something that would change her life: a scholarship to attend a private school through his foundation.