The police arrived ten minutes later. The second boy was found within the hour. Both were charged with extortion and theft, and their parents repaid every dollar Toby had handed over. Toby didn’t care about the money. He sat in the back of my car holding his father’s dog tags against his chest the whole way home, and for the first time in years, he cried in front of me.

He wears the tags every day now, tucked under his shirt. With the repaid money, he finally bought his bike, a secondhand red one that Sal helped him fix up behind the diner. He still washes dishes every Saturday. Sal says he’s the best worker he has ever had, and he comes to dinner at our house once a month. And Toby and I made a deal. No more carrying things alone, for either of us.