Life had already taken more than its share from Lucas. At forty-two, the widowed father of four lived in a constant balance of grief and responsibility. Money was tight, the house needed repairs, and every grocery trip meant careful counting. So when he noticed a diamond ring resting between apples on a store shelf, the moment stopped him.
For a heartbeat, the weight of unpaid bills pressed in. Then he looked at his children laughing nearby and knew the answer. Keeping it would cost more than it could ever give.
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