I didn’t expect to see him again. Not with the rest of my life ahead of me—dinner to cook, girls to hug, bills to sort, and emails to answer. I had a half-lived-in house, still echoing with memories I no longer wanted.
That moment at the supermarket?
It was just a glimmer of decency in a world too busy to notice it. Or at least, that’s what I told myself.
Two mornings later, I was pouring the first cup of coffee when a sharp knock on the door almost made me drop the cup. It wasn’t frantic, but it was… intentional. As if whoever was behind the door had a specific reason for being there.
It was merely a glimmer of decency in a world too busy to notice it.
And I was used to the neighbors knocking on my door if anyone had a problem. Just the night before, I’d had to help an old lady with her high blood pressure.
I opened the door and found myself facing a woman in a charcoal grey suit. She looked to be in her thirties, with dark hair pulled back in a tight bun and a bag that seemed to contain much more than just files.
Her face was composed, but something in the way she carried herself told me she had arrived in a hurry.
I opened the door and found myself facing a woman in a charcoal grey suit.
« Madam, » she said, almost hesitantly. « Are you the woman who helped an elderly man on Thursday? »
It took me a moment to make the connection — my mind first went to all of Thursday’s patients.
« At the supermarket, » she added, to be more precise.
« Oh, » I said slowly. « Yes, it was me. Is he alright? »
She nodded once, but it was a stiff, controlled nod.
« Yes, it was me. Is he alright? »
« My name is Martha. The old man, Dalton, is my grandfather. He asked me to find you. We need to talk—it’s important. It concerns his last request. »
I stared at her, completely thrown off balance by all this formality.
« Wait… how did you manage to find me? » I asked, instinctively placing my hand on the door.
She let out a sigh that made her shoulders drop slightly.
« We need to talk — it’s important. »
This concerns his latest request.
“After he told me what had happened, I went back to the store. I asked the manager if we could look at the security camera footage. Once I explained the situation, he didn’t hesitate. He said your name is Ariel and mentioned that you had helped his wife after an operation some time ago. He said he knew immediately that it was you.”
My hand tightened further on the edge of the door.
« He added, » she said softly, « that when you and your daughters were sick a few months ago, he had your groceries delivered to your home. That’s why he still had your address in his files. »
My hand tightened further on the edge of the door.
I blinked slowly, my heart pounding. Martha’s expression had softened, but there was something urgent beneath the surface—not pressure, exactly, but something very much like it.
« I know it’s a lot to take in, » she said. « But he’s very ill. And he was perfectly clear. He wants to see you. »
« Now? » I asked, glancing behind her towards the street. « You mean… right now? »
« If you feel capable, Ariel. But that’s what he wants… »
I hesitated. Not because I didn’t want to go; it’s just that the weight of the moment seemed greater than me. Then I looked down at myself — slippers, old sweatshirt, the fatigue of the previous day still clinging to my skin.
« Just a second, » I said as I went back into the house.
Ara was sitting at the kitchen table, finishing a bowl of cereal. Celia was curled up on the sofa, channel surfing without really watching anything.
« I need to step out for a bit, » I told them, grabbing my coat. « There’s… something I need to do. I won’t be gone long, okay? »
« There is… something I need to do. »
« Is everything alright? » asked Ara, looking up, a worried crease on her forehead.
« I think so, » I said, kissing her on the head. « Lock the door after I leave. »
Outside, Martha opened the passenger-side door. The drive was silent, the kind of silence heavy with questions that we both chose not to ask. The house was hidden behind tall trees, unassuming, but clearly belonging to an old, well-to-do family.
Inside, the air was filled with the scent of cedar and worn leather.
« Lock the door after I leave. »
She led me along a corridor, where Dalton was waiting, lying under a light-colored blanket. His face seemed thinner, but when he saw me, his eyes lit up with obvious recognition.
« You came, » he murmured, his voice weak but steady.
« Of course, » I said, sitting down on the chair next to him.
He looked at me for a long time, his eyes following the features of my face as if he wanted to memorize the shape of my kindness.
« You came, » he murmured.
« You didn’t take the time to think, » he said finally. « You simply helped. You didn’t make a grand gesture. You simply… saw that I was there. »
« It seemed like you needed someone. »
« I’ve spent the last few years pretending I have nothing—not to fool people, Ariel, but to understand them. To see who’s still good when no one’s looking. What you did for me… and the chocolate bar… »
His voice weakened, and he looked at Martha.
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