“I bullied you.”
Then she picked up the envelope again.
“Thank you,” Lydia whispered.
She stood slowly. “I won’t waste this.”
As she turned toward the door, I reached into my desk drawer.
“Wait.”
She looked back.
I handed her a small stack of bills.
Her eyes widened.
“It’s $500.”
“I won’t waste this.”
She immediately shook her head.
“No. I can’t take that.”
“It’s not charity,” I said. “Think of it as a head start. Diapers, formula, whatever you need while you get through the program.”
Lydia looked as if she might cry again.
Her fingers trembled as she accepted the money.
