My mother continued packing an extra meal and never treated it as a burden. The routine made the gesture feel normal instead of pitying. The girl no longer needed to pretend that her mother had forgotten her lunch, and I no longer watched her sit through lunch pretending she was not hungry.
As we became friends, she told me about her family. Her mother worked two jobs but still struggled to provide everything they needed. Sometimes there was not enough money for food. The girl understood her mother’s situation and stayed silent because she did not want to add another problem.
