When Lucas helped a struggling classmate years ago, he expected nothing in return. He was just a poor kid trying to survive. But when she appeared at his door without warning, holding an envelope, he realized some debts are never forgotten. What brought her back after all these years?
I grew up in a house where dinner was sometimes just rice and whatever vegetables Mom could stretch across three plates. My dad worked two jobs: one at the factory during the day and another as a security guard at night. My mom cleaned houses on weekends, coming home with her hands raw and her back aching.
They never complained, not once, but I saw the worry lines deepen around their eyes every time a bill arrived in the mail.
The kitchen table became a war room of sorts.