The varsity linebacker was gone. In his place stood a thin, exhausted man in a wrinkled suit that didn’t quite fit. His shoulders slumped inward, as if life had pressed down hard. Mark didn’t recognize me at first.
“Thank you for seeing me,” he said, taking a seat.
He didn’t recognize me at first.
I leaned back in my chair.
“Sophomore chemistry was a long time ago, wasn’t it?” I said calmly.
Mark went pale. His eyes flicked to the nameplate on my desk and then to my face. I saw the hope die in his eyes.
“I… I didn’t know.” He stood abruptly. “I’m sorry to waste your time. I’ll go.”
“Sit,” I said.
My voice was firm, and he obeyed.
I saw the hope die in his eyes.
His hands trembled as he sat back down.
“I know what I did to you,” he said quietly. “I was cruel. I thought it was funny. But please… don’t punish her for that.”
“Your daughter?” I asked.
“Yes, Lily is eight and has a congenital heart defect. Surgery is scheduled in two weeks. I don’t have insurance or anything to cover it. I just… I can’t lose my daughter.”
Mark looked so broken at that moment.
“I know what I did to you.”
The rejection stamp sat on the corner of my desk. So did the approval stamp.
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