She let a starving man eat for free at her small diner. When he left, she noticed a small bundle on the table. Curiosity piqued, she opened it and FROZE in shock…

Maria was about to close early when she heard the bell above the door ring. An old man walked in, his clothes soaked from the rain. He stood quietly by the door, water dripping onto the floor.

His gray hair was messy and his coat had holes in it. But there was something gentle about his eyes. Maria noticed how thin he looked.

His hands shook slightly as he held on to his worn hat. Maria walked up to the old man with a warm smile. She could see he was embarrassed about his wet clothes dripping on her clean floor.

She grabbed a clean towel from behind the counter and handed it to him. I haven’t eaten in three days, the man said softly, his voice trembling. I lost my job last month and spent my last dollars on medicine.

His eyes looked down at the floor. I have no money for food. Maria remembered her first year in America.

She had gone to bed hungry many nights, saving every penny for her children’s food. The memory of that hunger was still fresh in her mind. She guided the old man to a corner table.

Don’t worry about money today, she told him. The man tried to refuse, but Maria was already walking to the kitchen. She turned the stove back on and started cooking.

She wanted to give him something special, something that would warm his body and soul. She made her grandmother’s chicken soup, the recipe she saved for her own family. The vegetables were fresh and she added extra chicken.

The soup simmered as she baked a fresh batch of bread. The warm smell filled the empty diner. While cooking, Maria thought about her own father…