For weeks, I avoided going back to Layla’s house, too ashamed to face her mother again. But in December, Layla invited me to help decorate their Christmas tree. I hesitated at the doorway—until her mom smiled gently and handed me an ornament. At that moment, I understood that one complicated act of generosity had done far more than feed me that Thanksgiving. It had changed the way I saw people, the meaning of giving, and the quiet ways someone can show they care.
