He brought me soup the next day, and we talked for four hours.

Later he told me that a girl with two babies had stopped in the rain and reminded him what kindness looked like.”

Thomas opened a thin folder.

Inside was a photograph of Walter in a volunteer apron beside a row of folding tables.

A banner behind him advertised free tax help for working families.

“He spent the years after that trying to become the kind of person you thought you were helping.”

I looked closely at the image.