I stepped in slowly.
The house was clean.
And the walls stopped me cold—they were covered in photos.
Kids at birthdays. School portraits. Holidays. Smiles frozen in time.
“Your family?” I asked.
Arthur stood by the window, staring out.
“I have three kids,” he muttered. “They stopped coming.”
That was all he gave me, but it was enough.
After that, I understood Arthur a little more.
And I didn’t stop bringing the food.
If anything, I showed up even more.
Seven years passed like that.
Neighbors called me crazy.
Maybe I was.
Then, last Tuesday came.
Arthur’s porch light wasn’t on like usual.
I noticed right away. When he didn’t answer my knock, I tried the handle. It was unlocked.
I stepped inside carefully.
“Arthur?”
Nothing.
I walked down the hallway and pushed open a door.
I found him lying in bed peacefully, as if he had simply fallen asleep. He was 80.
Arthur’s funeral was small. I received an invitation by mail through his lawyer.
And that’s when I finally saw his children.
Daniel, the oldest. Claire, the middle child. And Mark, the youngest.
They all wore expensive suits and stood together.
I overheard them whispering about their inheritance.
None of them looked at me or asked who I was.
After the service, a man approached me.
“Are you Kylie?”
“Yes.”
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