Keeley was worried about what he was going to eat that night.
To avoid being spotted in a town where everyone knew him, he'd gone out for food only after dark, mask on. The shame of it kept him hiding.
A man lives by his reputation. For the first half of his life, Keeley had defied his parents to marry Gerda, a divorcée. He'd worked himself to the bone for her children, even giving up on having a child of his own. After Gerda died, his stepchildren had turned on him, welcoming their biological father back and kicking Keeley out of the house. He had become the town's laughingstock.
And now, history was repeating itself. He had been thrown out by his own flesh-and- blood nephews. How could he possibly face his old acquaintances again?
When he heard Caitlin's voice, Keeley froze, a flash of excitement on his face.
But he shook it off just as fast. He'd heard wrong.
Caitlin was in The Capital, over a thousand kilometers away. How could he possibly hear her voice here?
It was nothing but wishful thinking, fueled by days of desperate hope to see Fortune and Caitlin again.
He went back to rummaging through the trash. He only dared to come out in the mornings and evenings, so he hadn't eaten much at midday. His stomach was growling, a hollow ache in his gut. He needed to find something to eat, anything.
Fortune looked around, puzzled. "Catie, are you sure? Where's Keeley? I don't see him."
Caitlin pointed to the figure at the trash can. "I think that's him."
Fortune followed her finger. He squinted, then shook his head in disbelief. "That..... that can't be him, can it?"
The person was dressed in ragged clothes, his hair matted. A mask covered his face as he bent over, completely focused on his search. He looked like a typical homeless person. Fortune couldn't reconcile this image with the well-kept Keeley he knew.
"Let's go have a look," Caitlin said.
"Alright." Fortune nodded and followed her.
They quickly reached the trash can. It was only when they were up close that
Fortune could believe his eyes. It was him. It was really Keeley. He could never have imagined that his cheerful old friend would be reduced to scavenging for food.
It was as if all his pride and dignity had been crushed overnight.
A lump formed in Fortune's throat. He wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out.
"Keeley!" Caitlin said again.
This time, the voice was unmistakable.
Keeley knew he wasn't hallucinating. It really was Caitlin.
He froze, then slowly straightened up and looked. There they were, Caitlin and Fortune, standing right in front of him.
Keeley's eyes instantly turned red. He trembled, his voice choked with disbelief. "Catie... For-Fortune? What... what are you two doing here?"
Fortune finally found his voice, his own eyes welling up. "Keeley! What happened to you? Why didn't you answer my calls?"
"Fortune!" Keeley cried out like a child who had finally found his family after being wronged. A torrent of emotions burst forth. He reached out to hug Fortune, then remembered his filthy state and quickly pulled his hand back.
But Fortune didn't hesitate, pulling Keeley into a tight embrace. "Keeley! We finally found you!" If he hadn't. seen it with his own eyes he would. never have believed it. Keeley had always been so particular about his appearance. But now...
Keeley sobbed uncontrollably. "Kensington, it's all my fault! I should have listened to
you and Catie! I deserve this, I really do..."
If he could turn back time, he would have heeded Caitlin's advice.
Caitlin had suspected something was wrong when she heard that Keeley's nephews were away, but she had never imagined this. It seemed that human nature could be far more twisted than she had thought.
"Grandpa, Keeley, this isn't the place to talk," she said gently. "Let's go back to the hotel. Keeley can take a shower, calm down, and then we can talk properly."
Fortune nodded. "Catie's right. Keeley, let's go back to the hotel."
Back at the hotel, Caitlin had Fortune's king room changed to a twin. Then she went to a nearby clothing store and bought Keeley two sets of clean clothes and a new pair of shoes He had been living under a bridge, and recent heavy rains in Portchester had washed away the small suitcase he'd had.
After a hot shower and a shave, Keeley looked at his reflection in the mirror, dressed in fresh clothes. Only then did it feel real—he was still alive, and he had been found.
A few minutes later, he came out of the bathroom just as Caitlin returned with food.
Seeing him, Caitlin smiled. "Keeley, come on, let's eat. I also bought some spirits. We don't have anything planned for tomorrow, so you and Grandpa can have a few drinks tonight."
Looking at Caitlin, Keeley's nose tingled, and he started to cry again. "Catie, thank you. Thank you and your grandpa for coming to find me." He never thought that, at his lowest point, it would be Fortune and Caitlin who would find him, offering him warmth and hope. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Only now did Keeley truly understand the weight of those words. His nephews had been nice to him because of his settlement money. Only the kindness from Caitlin and Fortune was unconditional. He was filled with a deep, bitter regret. Caitlin's advice had been sound, meant for his own good, but he had ignored it,
mistaking her kindness for interference.