Andrew looked down, suddenly overwhelmed. Ivy reached into her coat and pulled out a folded envelope. “We were on our way out of school to go meet our mom, she had given us this for emergencies. Dad found out we were leaving and intercepted us.”
“If it weren’t for you…” she trailed off, glancing at Riley. “We probably wouldn’t be here.” She pressed the envelope into his hand. “Please. Take it.” Andrew started to protest. “You don’t have to—” “We want to,” Ivy said firmly.
“It’s not a lot, but… it’s something. You saved us. And we’d really like something good to come out of today.” Andrew slowly opened the envelope. Inside was a small stack of neatly folded bills. Not a fortune. But enough. Enough to finally move out of his parents’ basement.
Enough to cover college registration. Enough to restart something he thought he’d already failed at. He looked up at them, stunned. “This is—are you sure?” Ivy smiled. “We’re sure.” Riley stepped forward and gave him a sudden hug, catching him off guard. “Thank you,” she whispered.
They returned to the cruiser a moment later, officers guiding them gently. Andrew stood there, holding the envelope to his chest. Watching as the girls finally drove off toward safety, toward home. And for the first time in a long, long while, he didn’t feel stuck. He didn’t feel invisible.
He felt… useful. He stepped into his old car, the same one that had almost refused to start, and exhaled a long breath. This time, when he turned the key, the engine roared to life without hesitation.