I had to cover my mouth to keep from crying out loud.
I didn’t even try to stop the tears. They came fast and hot. Some moments earn your tears, and this one had them in spades.
The officer smiled and said, “Lunch is on us. Order anything you want.” It was the first time in years I’d heard someone say that to me.
So I did. A warm panini and a cup of coffee I didn’t have to clock in and out for. Every bite tasted like grace.
We sat there for almost an hour. Talking. Laughing. The kids showed me the pictures they had drawn. The mom—her name was Lacey—told me how relieved she was that things were finally stable again. That they’d made it through the storm. I told her about Maddie and her dreams, and Lacey nodded like she understood completely.
Before I left, she hugged me tighter than I’d ever been hugged by a stranger. It was the kind of hug that says thank you without needing words.
“We’re going to be okay now,” she whispered. “Thank you… for being there on one of our hardest days.” That sentence settled deep inside me like an anchor.
I floated back to work like my shoes weren’t touching the ground. Greg didn’t say anything, just gave me a nod when I walked in.
And then, because life has a funny way of surprising you, just a week later, Greg called me into the back office. I thought maybe he wanted me to cover a shift.
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