‘Sorry, Lizzy,’ he said softly, lifting the photo of their love and gently running his wrinkled fingers across her image. ‘I guess I couldn’t do it on my own.’

Leon clutched the photo to his chest, but his ears picked up the thundering feet in the hallway outside his apartment. The excitable footsteps had been missing for a while and he rushed to the door, pulling it open to see Nattie and Joel excitedly running up and down the corridor. Joel had his scooter and was trying to pull off a neat trick way beyond his skill level.

Leon felt his body shake.

He thought they’d gone.

It had been over a week, nearly two, since he’d accosted Alex’s British friend in their apartment, before sending him on to the High Five where she worked. He hadn’t heard anything since, although there were rumours that someone had mugged the bar and given the proprietors a bit of a beating. But as his eyes twinkled with pride at watching the two kids playing the stairwell, his stomach flipped as Alex stepped from the apartment, offering him a wide smile.

‘Alex,’ he exclaimed, and she stepped across the corridor to embrace him. ‘Boy, am I glad to see you.’

‘Likewise.’ Alex squeezed his frail body.

‘Are you back for good?’

‘Maybe.’ Alex shrugged. ‘We’re hoping to move Mum into a permanent facility and then we’ll see from there.’

Leon clutched her hand tightly.

‘If you ever need anything, you know you can always knock.’

‘I know.’ Alex smiled. She then startled. ‘Oh, I have something for you.’

Alex handed Leon an envelope, with his name crudely scrawled across the top.

‘What’s this?’ Leon raised his thick white eyebrows.

‘It’s from a mutual friend.’ Alex smiled. ‘Right, we better go. I’ll see you soon.’

Leon waved his goodbyes, then closed the door. Already the day felt different. The positivity exuding from Alex was a breath of fresh air, and Leon felt ten years younger. With a confused exhale, he opened the envelope, his eyes widening with disbelief.

He stumbled slightly, catching his balance on the door frame.

The envelope dropped to the floor, with hundreds of notes spilling out. He wouldn’t know it until he later countered it, but there was thirty thousand dollars in total.

A lot of money.

And a note.

You’re a good man, Leon. Never be afraid to accept help. JC.

Jonathan Cooper.

Leon would never know that wasn’t the ex-soldier’s real name, but he would forever be grateful for his kindness.

With a spring in his step, Leon offered a loving glance to the photo of his beloved wife, and then went about his day, a flicker of positivity telling him that maybe the world wasn’t as bad as his years of loneliness had had him believe.

Despite how hard life could hit at times, there were good people out there.