You know that feeling when you mess something up so bad, but you were just trying to help, and now everything is way worse than it was before? Yeah. That’s me right now. My stomach feels like a fucking knotted rope. I can’t sleep. So, my mom always told us, when Dad was deployed, you gotta look out for people. Especially people who don’t have much. And there’s this family, the Millers, they live down the street from us. Their kid, Leo, he’s in my history class. His shoes have holes in them, like, serious holes, and he’s always kinda quiet, staring at the floor. And his little sister, she was wearing a jacket in May, a really worn-out one. I just... I saw it. You know? My dad, before he shipped out again, he’d always tell me to keep an eye out, make sure people are squared away. Not like, getting in their business, but just if you see someone struggling, you help where you can. So, I started leaving stuff on their porch. Not like, a lot. Just some grocery store gift cards, a few times. From my allowance, and some of the money I saved from mowing lawns. Nothing huge. Just enough to maybe get some better food, or new shoes for Leo. I even put a sticky note on it once that said "from a friendly neighbor." Real subtle, right? God, I’m an idiot. Then this social worker lady shows up at their house, looking all official. She was nice, I guess. Later, my mom was talking to Mrs. Miller, and she was crying. Like, full-on, shoulders shaking crying. Turns out, the social worker found out about the money. Because of the gift cards. And now, because someone was helping them, even a little, the government thinks they don't *really* need help. So they might lose their housing subsidy. Their *house*. Because of me. Because I thought I was being a good person. I just wanted to help. I swear to god, I just wanted Leo to have shoes that didn’t fall apart and for his sister to have a proper coat. And now… now they might not have a roof over their heads. I just wanted to do what Dad would do. And I fucked it up. I don't even know what to do. You can’t exactly just say “oops, my bad, here’s a house.” I just feel like a complete and utter piece of shit.