I smiled through the tears.
“Now I can help someone else keep going too.”
She studied my face for a moment, then nodded slowly, picking up the envelope.
***
That night, I sat at my kitchen table. Arthur’s notebook lay in front of me.
I ran my fingers over the worn cover.
Then I opened to a blank page.
I smiled through the tears.
For a while, I didn’t write anything.
I just sat there, thinking about Arthur.
Then I picked up a pen, and I started my own list.
“April 3 — Paid Mrs. Greene back for babysitting the twins so I could finish school.”
The words looked simple on the page.
But they felt heavier than that.
I closed the notebook gently.
I started my own list.
***
Over the following months, it became a habit.
Nothing big or dramatic, just small things.
Covering someone’s bus fare.
Helping a coworker who was behind on rent.
