He rushed outside to find a white bag stuffed with cash at their doorstep and a note attached.
With trembling hands, Martin opened the note and read aloud:
“Thank you isn’t enough for what you did. I know you’d refuse this, but you deserve a happy childhood. It only took an hour to find your address—the world’s small like that. I hope we meet again someday, and I hope you never lose that heart of gold. —Sylvester.”
Tears filled Martin’s eyes. The money could change everything—his mother’s treatment, Josephine’s education, their future. But he hesitated. Was it right to accept it?
He lit a candle at the small altar in their home and whispered, “Dad, help me make the right choice.”
With a deep breath, Martin decided. He would accept the money—not for himself, but for his family. He would never forget his father’s lessons or the unexpected kindness that could come from anyone.
“Josephine!” he called. “We’re going to the doctor today—and maybe we’ll stop for ice cream on the way home.”
As his sister cheered with delight, Martin smiled up at the sky, knowing he had found his way forward.
