It was supposed to be quick.

A knock. A request for gas money. A simple yes or no.

The man standing there was living out of his car. He had a dog. A past he couldn’t outrun. And a story that didn’t fit neatly into the categories Matt thought he understood.

What followed wasn’t dramatic. No big speeches. Just conversation. Hesitation. And a quiet invitation that could have been ignored.

It didn’t feel like much at the time.