He stopped, holding his hand out as well. “I don’t mean any harm. I don’t.” The last word emerged on a squeak, and he drew in a shaky breath as though holding back tears. “My wife and I got a baby, man. A six-month-old. Her formula ran out a week ago. There’s none anywhere. No milk, nothing. We… Shit. Do you know anyone who has a baby? Who nurses? Please.”

“I’m sorry. No.”

The man hung his head, tears sliding down his cheeks and my gut wrenched for this father. “Tuck,” Emily said, her voice barely more than a whisper. And I knew what she was asking, or suggesting, or giving permission for without saying more than that. I let out a slow breath, feeling both relief and the anxiety of putting someone before ourselves. It wasn’t wise, and yet, we had hope, and a plan, and this man obviously did not.

“Come on,” I muttered, gesturing for him to follow me into the privacy of the alley. “Do you have water?” I asked, because if he didn’t, what I was going to give him wouldn’t help. They’d all die anyway.

“Y-yes. We filled up our tub and all the sinks.” I swung my backpack off my shoulder and removed two cans of condensed milk Emily and I had taken from the Garcias for the protein and the fat. I moved close and slipped the cans to the man and he gasped softly and grabbed for them, his eyes meeting mine.

“Thank you, thank you so much.” More tears slid down his cheeks and he looked stricken with shock.

I leaned in closer. “Mix it with water to make it last longer. Then check veterinary offices. The pet food will be gone, but there might be some puppy or kitten formula. I’d go to the zoo as well and check there for the same. Do it quickly, tomorrow morning. And then get the hell out of LA. Bring any weapons you have. You might be able to trade a gun for some milk at a farm. It’s probably the only thing valuable enough to trade with other than food.”

The man was bobbing his head, his face wet with tears. “Thank you, thank you.” It seemed like the only thing he could manage.

“Go,” I said. “Now. Hide that and hide it well.”

He stuffed it under his jacket and then put his hands in his pockets, giving us one last look as if we were visions that might disappear any moment, and then turned and walked quickly back down the alley.

“We shouldn’t have done that,” I muttered.

Emily smiled gently. “I know,” she said. “But sometimes… I don’t know, it feels like people are sent right to you. And we received more than our fair share of goodness too.”