The following morning, Walter made a decision. He would make sure Sarah and her children never went hungry again if he could help it. He began by taking a little money from his savings and buying groceries. He purchased milk, bread, eggs, cereal, fruit, chicken, and vegetables. He also noticed that the children needed warmer clothes, so he bought coats, socks, shoes, and school supplies. He never told Sarah where the items came from. Instead, he would leave grocery bags on her porch and pretend someone had delivered them by mistake. When she questioned him, he would simply smile and say, “Maybe somebody finally decided to take care of you for a change.” Sarah suspected he was involved, but she never wanted to embarrass him by asking too many questions. Walter enjoyed seeing the children happy. Hazel would run outside to thank him, Ben would show him his new school notebooks, and little Toby started calling him Grandpa Walter. For the first time since Ruth’s death, Walter felt that his days had a purpose again.

But the groceries and children’s needs quickly became more expensive than he had imagined. His savings began disappearing, so he started selling the things he had treasured for decades. First went his gold watch, a gift from Ruth on their fortieth wedding anniversary. Then he sold his coin collection, his old vinyl records, and the fishing rods he had used every summer. Eventually, he even sold Ruth’s sewing machine and several pieces of their wedding china. Each time he handed over another possession, he reminded himself that Sarah’s children needed those things more than he needed objects sitting in his house. When the money finally ran out, he became desperate. He still saw Sarah skipping meals, and he couldn’t bring himself to watch the children go without necessities. That’s when he started taking small items from ValueMart. At first, it was only groceries. Later, he began taking coats, shoes, vitamins, and school supplies. He knew it was wrong, but he convinced himself that he would somehow find a way to make things right. He never imagined the security cameras would catch him, or that his actions would eventually bring him into a courtroom.