Kyle Greenbecker had spent a whole year working on an oil pipeline in the freezing wilderness of Alaska. It had been tough, grueling work, but now, finally, he was on his way home. He could hardly wait to see his wife, Lisa. He and Lisa had been together since high school, and Kyle had never regretted marrying her when they were just nineteen. Maybe he was old-fashioned, but he was proud that Lisa was the only woman he’d ever been with. He had never cheated, never even thought about it.

Emma Richards had lived a quiet, lonely life ever since her husband, John, passed away seven years ago. They had never been blessed with children, and without family to lean on, she had spent those years in solitude, carrying the weight of grief on her frail shoulders. She never spoke much about why they hadn’t had children, and whenever someone asked, she would simply give a small, sad smile and change the subject. Some wounds, she believed, were better left untouched. One cold afternoon, as Emma sat in her tiny

Emma’s life was falling apart. She was alone, grieving, and down to her last fifty dollars. On a cold, rainy night, she gave up half of it to help a struggling stranger at the grocery store. She expected nothing in return. But the very next day, that same man changed her life forever—leaving her in tears. The rain poured down in heavy sheets, soaking through my thin sweater as I made my way toward the grocery store. Each drop felt like a slap against my skin, my sneakers squishing with