Emma glanced inside.
“I saved enough for lunch,” I told her. “We can split toasted sandwiches and have soup.”
“What about groceries?”
“That money is separate.”
“And the bus?”
“Covered.”
“The electric bill?”
I stopped walking.
“You shouldn’t be thinking about bills.”
“I don’t worry about them,” she said softly. “I just know you do.”
Before I could answer, she suddenly slowed down.
An older man was sitting on the pavement beside the alley.
His coat was badly torn. His face was weathered, and his hands trembled slightly from the cold.
A thin brown dog sat pressed against his side.
The man held a single piece of bread.
He broke it in half and gave the larger portion to the dog.
Emma watched him carefully.
“Why did he give her more?”
“Because he loves her.”
“But he’s hungry too.”
I looked at the man as he brushed crumbs from his palm and placed them in front of the dog.
