I paused, a bit stunned. But for the first time, her words felt hollow, and I found I didn’t care as much as I once might have. After a moment, I typed a reply:
[Got it, have fun!]
As I walked past an ATM, I noticed a young girl nearby, huddled against the wall, clutching her phone, tears streaming down her face.
“Buddy, he transferred all my money. My mom’s still in the hospital… what am I supposed to do?” I overheard the girl’s distressed voice as I walked past, but I kept my steps steady, not wanting to intrude on her pain.
A gust of wind carried her voice again, trembling and bitter. “Buddy, I hate this world so much…”
With a sigh, I turned around and stepped toward her, offering a small smile. “Hey there, how about a trade? I’ll give you something I have here, and in exchange, you let me buy you something sweet.”
The girl looked up at me, blinking in surprise before pulling a few pieces of White Rabbit candy from her pocket. “Miss, are you low on blood sugar? Here, take these—no need to trade.”
I wasn’t hypoglycemic. I just remembered someone once told me that sweets can help the heart heal, even just a little.
I accepted the candy, unwrapped one, and popped it into my mouth, savoring the small burst of sweetness.
The sweetness of the candy spread on my tongue, and for a moment, it felt like my mood lifted. Quickly, I unwrapped another piece and held it out toward the girl. She hesitated, but then took it from my fingers and popped it into her mouth.
With a gentle push, I tucked my handbag into her arms, keeping the remaining candy in my palm and waving it lightly. “It’s only fair to share. If you don’t want these, I’ll just toss them in the trash.”
I offered her a reassuring smile. “This world isn’t as terrible as it seems, you know.”
With that, I turned and walked away, feeling a lightness in my heart. I couldn’t tell if it was the taste of the White Rabbit candy or the joy of helping someone else that buoyed my spirits.
The walk home took two hours, but as soon as I opened the door, I found Landon lounging on the sofa in his nightgown, focused on his phone. The moment he glanced up and saw me, the smile slipped from his face.
“Why are you back so late?” he asked, his tone sharp.
I paused, weighing my words before answering. “I didn’t expect it to take so long.”
His brow furrowed. “You walked back?”