Tom had just finished locking up the box office for the night and thought he’d go up to the apartments and check on the guest Emma had invited to stay in the dorms.
He had been shocked to learn that a kindergarten teacher had ended up homeless.
As Tom reached the top of the stairs to the apartments, Melissa Gaines had just stepped into the common area. She moved quietly, like someone unsure if they were intruding, unsure if they belonged where they were.
“I was hoping to find Emma…” She looked at Tom as if she were trying to prove she wasn’t doing anything wrong. “Just to thank her.”
Tom smiled gently. “She was in the dressing room when I left… I was actually coming up to check on you myself.”
She nodded, glancing around the shared space. “Elijah’s asleep. I just came out for a breath. This place is… honestly nicer than the apartment we had. Smaller, of course—but it’s warm. It’s safe.”
“It’s new,” Tom said. “Built it last fall… long story… But, its purpose didn’t play out, so… it’s not doing anybody any good sitting empty.”
Melissa sat down on a sofa slowly, folding her hands in her lap. Her expression shifted—still grateful, but more thoughtful now.
“I never thought I’d end up needing help like this,” she said quietly.
There was no embarrassment in it. Just the kind of honesty that shows up when someone’s run out of ways to pretend they’re fine.
“My husband was an ER nurse,” she said. “He caught COVID back in January 2020, before anybody really knew what it was. He tested negative for the flu, but he had all the symptoms. He died in February.
Our son Elijah was five months old.”
Tom stayed quiet. He felt no need to fill the space.
“I kept teaching,” she continued. “It wasn’t easy, but I did what I had to. Daycare… rent… food… utilities. Break-even on a good month.”
“I can imagine how hard you worked.”
Melissa nodded. “Then, Elijah started school. I held everything together. Not great—but held.”
She paused, but Tom didn’t interrupt.
“Then this past fall, he had to get his tonsils out. Should’ve been simple. But… there were complications. Two hospital stays. A second surgery… I missed work and used up all my PTO.. Savings dried up. Rent fell behind. I got one extension. Then nothing.”
She looked at her hands like they held the weight of all of it.
“I’ve always believed if you work hard and keep your head down, you’ll be okay. But this time… I wasn’t.”
Tom finally spoke. “You did what any parent would’ve done.”
“I started sleeping in my car last month. Showers at the school. Laundromat… PO Box…” she said. “Not long. Just long enough to feel like you’re disappearing.”
Tom nodded. “Well, I’m glad you’re here now. Emma came to my office and had some big ideas… Well, I’ve been thinkin’... what we’re doing for you—maybe this doesn’t have to stop with you.”
Melissa looked up. “You mean—others like me?”
“I’ve got some ideas. This isn’t the only second floor I own that’s not being used.” Tom said. “I’m not sure how, but I have some ideas of what… Let’s see where they lead.”
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