I broke down.
Not because of the amount—but because of what it meant.
That $10 I once thought I couldn’t afford… hadn’t been lost.
It had stayed with him for nearly three decades.
That night, I told Lily and Mae everything.
By the time I finished, Mae was in tears.
“All of this… from $10?” she whispered.
I shook my head.
“No,” I said softly. “From being seen.”
In the weeks that followed, everything changed.
For the first time in years, I wasn’t choosing which bill to delay.
Mae’s medical debt disappeared.
Her treatments continued—but now, we could breathe.
For the first time in decades, I felt free.
A few days later, I went to find someone.
Mrs. Greene.
When she opened the door, she recognized me instantly.
“Nora?”
We sat together, just like old times. I told her everything.
Then I placed an envelope in front of her.
“I never paid you back,” I said.
She smiled gently.
“You finished school. That was enough.”
I shook my head.
