She approached Theo.
“May I hug you, sweetheart?”
Theo looked at me first.
It was something he often did when someone made an unexpected request. He needed a moment to understand what was happening and decide whether he felt comfortable.
I nodded gently.
“You can say yes or no, buddy.”
The woman waited.
Theo thought for a moment, then nodded.
She wrapped her arms around him and began to cry again.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “You don’t know what you’ve done for me.”
Theo stood still for a moment before carefully patting her shoulder.
“It’s okay,” he said. “You can buy food now.”
The woman laughed through her tears.
“Yes, sweetheart. Yes, I can.”
Then she stepped back, took his hands in hers, and said something I would remember for the rest of my life.
“My grandson is about your age. He has a kind heart, but I don’t know if he would have known what to do today. You saw me crying, and instead of walking away, you came to ask why.”
