A flicker of relief crossed his face.
“My name is Aaron Wallace,” he said. “The elderly man you’ve been helping every day near the unfinished building by the bus stop—he’s my father.”
The words stunned her. Her mind scrambled to reconcile the frail, confused man she fed with leftovers with the powerful figure standing before her.
Aaron nodded. “Harold Wallace.”
Memories flooded her thoughts—Harold’s shaking hands, his polite gratitude, the way he apologized each time he forgot her name.
Aaron lowered his voice. “My father suffers from severe memory loss. When episodes hit, he forgets who he is and wanders. He stays where kindness finds him.”
Emotion tightened Felicity’s chest.
“I found him this morning,” Aaron continued. “He described you. Your apartment. How you fed him even when you had very little.”
Aaron straightened. “Thank you for caring for him when no one else did.”
She shook her head. “I just shared food.”
“You gave dignity,” he replied.
“Where do you work?” he asked.
“At Lakeview Grill,” she said. “I’m a server.”
Aaron nodded. “That diner belongs to my company.”
Her knees nearly buckled.
“As of today,” he continued calmly, “you are the general manager.”
Shock replaced fear.
“I don’t understand,” she said. “I have no experience.”
“You chose compassion when no one was watching,” Aaron replied. “That matters more.”
“We’re getting him now,” Aaron said softly.
Continue reading…
