PART 18 – A Message From Someone at the Center Reminded Me That the Money Had Reached People Who Needed It

Before leaving the center, I helped Clare check the remaining supplies.

She had a list in her hand.

I stood beside her while she counted a few items.

We compared the numbers.

Then she placed the paper on her desk.

"Thank you for staying today."

I smiled.

"I'm glad I could help."

She looked toward Walter's photograph.

"I think he'd have enjoyed seeing everyone here."

I nodded.

"He always liked being around people."

Clare agreed.

Then she told me that the donation paperwork had been completed and recorded.

Everything was in order.

I felt relieved.

I hadn't wanted the contribution to become a complicated process.

I had wanted it to help.

That was all.

I put on my coat.

Before leaving, I stopped near the storage cabinet.

The paper snowflake was slightly crooked again.

I straightened it.

Then I looked at Walter's photograph one last time.

I didn't say anything.

I simply smiled and walked out.

The drive home was quiet.

When I reached my house, I carried my things inside.

I put my keys beside the calendar.

The crossed-out Christmas lunch was still visible.

I looked at it.

Then I turned away.

I wasn't going to spend the evening feeling sorry for myself.

I made something warm to eat.

Afterward, I sat in the living room.

I checked my phone.

There was a message from Clare.

She thanked me again for helping.

She also mentioned that the center would continue working through the winter assistance arrangements.

I replied that I was happy to have contributed.

Then I put the phone down.

A few minutes later, I found myself thinking about the thirty-one thousand dollars again.

It had once been a collection of hockey programs, tickets, photographs, and equipment.

Now it was something different.

It was support for people who needed food.

It was assistance for families trying to keep a roof over their heads.

It was a way of continuing something Walter had started.

I knew Adam might never see it that way.

He had wanted the money for a house.

I understood why.

But I couldn't make a donation based on what somebody else expected from me.

I had to make a decision I could live with.

And I could.

I went to bed that night feeling tired.

Not completely happy.

Not completely free of sadness.

But certain.

That certainty mattered.

Click here to continue reading: PART 19: The Days After Christmas Were Quiet, and I Began to Wonder Whether the Distance Between Adam and Me Had Become Permanent