Earl knelt down to Danny’s level. “Because I’m happy, son. Really, really happy.”
“Is it because I’m okay?”
Danny hugged him. “Thank you for fixing our fence, Mr. Earl. It’s the best fence ever.”
Earl held my son tight and cried harder.
That was three years ago.
Earl comes to every birthday party. Every holiday dinner. Every school play and soccer game. My kids call him Grandpa Earl now. He calls them his grandkids.
He finally told me why he’d picked my house out of all the rundown properties in town. It wasn’t just because he used to live here.
“The first time I rode past, I saw Maya playing in the backyard. She had red hair. Just like Charlotte.”
“So you started watching the house.”
“I couldn’t help it. Every time I saw her, I saw my little girl. And I saw that fence falling apart. And I knew I had to do something.”
The club president stood up to give a toast.
“Earl has been a Guardian for over thirty years. He’s ridden thousands of miles, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, and shown up for more kids in need than I can count. But this year, he saved a life. A little boy named Danny. Because Earl spent nine months fixing a fence.”
Everyone raised their glasses.
“To Earl. Proof that it’s never too late to make things right.”
“To Earl!” the room thundered.
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