Instead she offered to help track down anyone else who might remember Lucas’s early working years.

Two former coworkers had turned up through a factory reunion group.

One remembered him as a careful mechanic who had flagged unsafe equipment before the explosion.

The other had a photo of him standing with the factory softball team.

We invited the coworkers over for coffee.

Lucas agreed grudgingly, sure they would pity him.

They showed up with an old trophy and a cardboard envelope full of pictures.

One of them, Harold, looked at Lucas for a whole minute before pulling him into a gentle hug.