We were still buzzing from prom night, you know? Dresses half-wrinkled, heels in hand, makeup smudged from too much laughing. We stumbled into Outback Steakhouse around midnight, starving and feeling like we ruled the world for just one night. That’s when we saw him. An older man in a plaid shirt, sitting by himself at a booth. He was smiling at us like he was seeing something he hadn’t seen in a long, long time. When we passed his table, he called out, real gentle-like, “You young ladies and gentlemen headed to prom?” We laughed and nodded, feeling a little…
Author: World Wide
Graduation day was supposed to be one of the best days of my life. And it was… but it also felt like there was this huge, aching hole where my dad should’ve been standing. Ten months earlier, he was killed in the line of duty. He was the kind of dad who never missed anything—school plays, soccer games, even those super boring award ceremonies. He would’ve been the loudest one cheering when I walked across that stage. I knew it. So yeah, it hurt. Bad. I was standing there in my cap and gown, clutching my diploma like it could…
Taking Jaxon out for breakfast by myself felt like climbing Mount Everest. He was just eight weeks old, and honestly, I barely remembered to brush my hair that morning. But I told myself, you got this, mama. I ordered a plate of eggs and a hot chocolate, sat down, and of course—Jaxon started crying. Loudly. People turned their heads, and I felt my stomach twist with that awful wave of embarrassment. I picked him up, started feeding him right there at the table, heart pounding. That’s when I saw her. An older woman, maybe in her seventies, making a beeline…
It was just supposed to be a quick lunch. Me, my brother Malachi, and our cousin Ava had been out all morning, running errands for Mom. We ducked into this little fast-food place, starving and cranky, ready to inhale some burgers and fries without thinking too much about anything. That’s when we noticed the officer standing at the counter. He looked tired. Like, bone tired. His shoulders were slumped, and he kept rubbing his forehead like the world was sitting right there, pressing down on him. Without really thinking about it, Malachi whispered, “We should pray for him.” I kinda…
I DIDN’T EVEN HAVE A HOME, BUT I COULDN’T LEAVE THEM BEHIND People always assume you end up on the street because you’re lazy or stupid. They don’t see all the little moments that drag you down one by one until there’s nowhere left to fall. That’s how I ended up here, sitting on a threadbare blanket against a concrete wall, trying to stay invisible. I thought I was alone in the world until I found them. It was a cold morning when I heard the whimpering behind a dumpster. Two tiny pups, shivering and hungry, probably dumped there like…
I was on my usual subway ride home, zoning out like everyone else, when I noticed this boy get on at the next stop. What stood out wasn’t the backpack or the messy hair—it was that he was barefoot, holding one tattered sneaker and wearing a single mismatched sock. He sat down between two strangers and tried to act like he didn’t notice all the glances. People can be weird about things like that. Some look away, some stare, but most just pretend they don’t see. But the man sitting on the other side of the boy kept looking down,…
After the accident, everyone kept telling me how “lucky” I was. Lucky to be alive. Lucky to have a good hospital. Lucky to have support. Some days, it didn’t feel like luck at all. I hated the wheelchair. I hated the looks from strangers. I hated the heavy silence in my own house where every little thing felt like a reminder of what I’d lost. When they first suggested a service dog, I laughed it off. A dog? What could a dog do that all these doctors and therapists couldn’t? But then they introduced me to Axel. Big, serious-eyed German…
I hate flying. Always have. Between the recycled air, the cramped seats, and the people who act like they’ve never heard of personal space, I usually spend the whole flight wishing I could teleport. This time was no different. I boarded late, dragging my carry-on, already feeling the anxiety creeping up my neck. But when I got to my row, I stopped in my tracks. There, right in the middle seat, was a dog. A literal dog—black and white, big floppy ears, sitting upright like he paid for that ticket himself. His human, an older guy in a ball cap,…
A police officer pulled over a minivan that was crawling along the road at just 25 miles per hour, causing quite the backup in mid-day traffic. Inside was an elderly gentleman behind the wheel, and a group of older ladies sitting silently, looking like statues—wide-eyed and clutching their purses for dear life. The officer leaned in and asked, “Sir, is there a reason you’re driving so slowly?” The man replied, “Well, officer, I’m just following the speed limit. The sign back there said 25!” Trying not to chuckle, the officer shook his head. “Sir, that’s not the speed limit—that’s the…
