She leaned forward, touching the back of my hand gently.
“I decided that whenever I expanded my company into a new town, I would walk into its small businesses looking like a beggar. I wanted to see who held onto their humanity when there was no profit in it. Most people turned me away. Some threatened to call the police. But you… you gave my children warm food, sliced cake, and dignity. You didn’t just feed us; you saw us.”
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. “I know what it feels like to be invisible in a room full of people,” I admitted, thinking of Greg’s dinner table, of Ashley’s snide comments, of years spent proving my worth to people who viewed me as convenience rather than family.
Clara smiled knowingly. “A heart like yours shouldn’t be wasted on people who treat you like background noise, Diane. Kindness isn’t weakness. It’s a rare currency. And I always invest in rare things.”
