Rain fell in steady sheets as Emma pushed forward, her sweater clinging to her skin. “Just keep going,” she whispered — words her mother used to say. At 23, Emma’s life had fallen apart. A car accident had taken both her parents, leaving her with grief, student loans, and an empty apartment. With only $50 left, she counted every coin for groceries.
Inside the store, she picked the essentials: bread, eggs, pasta. At the checkout, she noticed a man in a soaked hoodie, hands trembling as he tried to pay. “Please… I haven’t eaten in two days,” he whispered. Without hesitating, Emma stepped forward. “I’ll cover it.” “You don’t have to,” he said. “We all need help sometimes.”
