Wally sits on a cardboard square. He waves at every pair of shoes that walks by on the busy sidewalk.
A red balloon floats up and gets caught in a tree branch above him. The string dangles down, just out of reach.
He stands on tiptoes and reaches up. The balloon bobs just out of his grasp.
Wally walks past a bakery window. A blue paper sign says HELP WANTED. He presses his palm against the glass.
Inside, someone sweeps golden crumbs. Wally's smile stays, but his feet don't move.
The bakery door is locked. Wally walks down the block and spots a small shivering dog under a parked car.
Wally breaks off half his apple and offers it. The dog eats and then leads him down a quiet street.
The dog leads him to a warm apartment. A woman hands him a coin and a key. "Take care," she says.
Wally walks home with the key in his pocket. The coin glints in the streetlight. He thinks: this is a start.
Five years later. Wally stands in a bright kitchen and watches his children flip pancakes.
One child laughs as a flour drop lands on their nose. Wally smiles his big smile.
Pancakes stack on a plate. The kitchen is full of noise and light. Wally's kitchen.