I spent the next few hours talking to Arthur, having waited in the hall until he put away the small bag he'd had shoved into his jacket pocket before he came back out and we headed to a nearby cafe for some coffee. He hadn't spoken again of what he'd mentioned outside of his apartment, but at least he had spoken with me and allowed me to give him my phone number and address.

After the cafe began to grow crowded with customers trickling in for lunch, we finally left and I grabbed Arthur's hand, dragging him to the grocery store across the street. He had argued at first, but I just continued to fill a handbasket with various cans and boxes of food that would last the next few days for him and his mother. When he seemed to actually be getting upset, I stopped in one of the aisles and spoke softly so that only he could hear.

"If our situations were reversed and you had the chance to help me, the desire to help, would you stand there silently doing nothing or would you take that first step toward doing what you could?"

He stopped arguing and stood there quietly for a while as I continued adding items to the basket, looking up at him with a smile when he added a single item to the basket with the simple explanation that it was one of his mom's favorites. I quickly added a few more before heading toward the counter to pay, sending Arthur to the back to grab a jug of milk, my arms too full to grab one myself.

After helping him carry the bags back to his apartment and making sure he got everything inside, I turned to start heading home again. An arm grabbed me from behind and turned me back around before wrapping around me gently.

"Thank you... I'll repay you somehow, I promise. Thank you for this. For everything. Even now you are giving me hope. I... I don't deserve you as a friend, but I'm glad you are anyhow," the words were mumbled into my shoulder as he leaned over me, shoulders hunched as if he waited for me to push him away.

Instead, I wrapped my own arms around him and held him close for a few minutes before I took a single step back, raising a hand to brush his hair out of his face. I ignored the small flinch he gave, smiling at the man I called my friend.

"Arthur, you don't owe me anything. You've already done so much for me that you don't even seem to realize. My name might be Hope, but you are the one who has brought hope back into my own life. You gave me a reason to smile again, a reason to laugh and look forward to each day, each week that has passed since meeting you," I said before leaning closer to whisper into his ear, giving him one more hug before I had to go. "Even though someday I might not be able to hear your laughter, as long as I can see you smile when that time comes, that will be enough for me. So smile, Arthur. No matter what comes, if you can still smile at me when you see me, that will be all I ever ask of you."

Stepping further away, making it obvious that I was ready to head home even if I wanted to stay, I saw him curve his lips into a tremulous smile as a single tear ran down his cheek. Raising a hand, I wiped it away and gave him the best smile I could in response.

"You'll be okay Arthur. You're so much stronger than anyone knows and if things get too hard to handle on your own... You know where to find me now. You don't have to do this alone, not anymore," I said before turning around and walking to the elevator, waiting until the doors opened and I stepped inside before I brought my hands up to my face and wiped away the tears that had begun falling.

Why did life have to be so hard on such an amazing person? Did life always seek out the kindest people just to see how much they could take before they broke?