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“Oh, I think you already did, Celia. Many years ago.”
It took me a second, but then it clicked. My hand flew to my mouth.
He nodded, his smile widening.
“It’s been a long time,” he said. “And I’ve been meaning to find you for years. And now I’m here to keep my promise.”
I invited him in, still trying to process how this confident, well-dressed man could be the same frail figure I’d picked up on that rainy night. We sat at the kitchen table, and he slid the leather folder toward me.
“Go ahead, Celia,” he said.
I opened it, my hands trembling. Inside was a deed to a small house, just a few miles from my own.
“James…” I stammered, shaking my head. “What is this? I can’t accept this!”
“Yes, you can,” he said firmly, his tone kind but insistent. “You don’t know what you did for me that night. I was a stranger. I was at the lowest point of my life, Celia. I had no home, no hope, nothing. But you stopped. You didn’t treat me like I was invisible. That gave me something I hadn’t felt in years: a reason to keep going.”
I stared at the paper, my vision blurring with tears. We needed to move out of this house. The kids were outgrowing the tiny space. And they wanted a dog so badly.
James continued to speak, pulling me back from my thoughts.
“I used the bus ticket you gave me to get to town. The person sitting next to me on the bus told me all about a shelter for people who needed help. I went straight there from the bus stop. They gave me a bed, and a week later, when I was back on my feet, they helped me find a job.”
I smiled at James and got up to put the kettle on.
“And then I started saving. It wasn’t easy. But I kept going. Eventually, I got back on my feet. I went to the local community college and eventually started my own business. Now, Celia, I run a company that helps fund shelters and scholarships. None of it would have been possible without you.”
His words knocked the air out of me.
As we drank tea and ate crumpets that I’d made for breakfast, James filled in the gaps of his journey.
It hadn’t been an instant transformation. He’d struggled for years, working odd jobs where he could. But every time he felt like giving up, he said that he thought of that night.
He’d spent the last decade helping others, donating to shelters, funding education programs, and mentoring people who were trying to rebuild their lives.
“I’ve been looking for you,” James admitted. “I tried to remember the name of the town, but I think my brain just blocked out a large portion of that time. But I was determined to find you. So, I kept driving until I got here. I knew I’d figure it out.”
My heart ached at the thought of him searching for me all this time, determined to repay a kindness I’d never expected anything for.
Before he left, James pulled a small envelope from his pocket and handed it to me.
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