I pulled over right away.
“Sir, do you need any help?” I called out through the open window.
The old man turned toward me, squinting through the rain.
“M–my car broke down,” he said, nodding toward a black sedan with steam billowing from under the hood. “And my phone’s dead.”
“Come on, hop in. You’ll catch a cold out here,” I told him.
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly climbed into the back seat. Madison gave him a shy smile and handed him a small towel she kept for her art projects.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” the old man said kindly.
I drove him to the nearest diner—the only place still open where he could call a tow truck. Before getting out, he squeezed my shoulder.
“You didn’t have to stop,” he said quietly, “but you did. Real kindness is rare these days. I won’t forget this.”
I smiled, thinking it was nothing more than a good deed.
“Just glad you’re okay, sir.”
