From that chilly afternoon onward, Rebecca brought a hot container of dinner over to his porch nearly every single evening after she returned home from running errands.

She frequently invited him to sit at her family table so he would not have to eat his supper in an empty house, yet Clarence rarely accepted those invitations because he was terrified of being an unnecessary burden on a struggling mother.

Instead, Clarence gratefully accepted the hot containers at his doorway, firmly convinced that she was merely sharing whatever extra portions her household could easily spare.

He thanked her with all his heart for those simple dishes, never once suspecting the immense personal sacrifice that went into preparing them every evening.