Meredith is just trying to make ends meet, one packed lunch at a time. But when her son starts asking for extras and the police show up at her door, she’s pulled into a story far bigger than survival, one that proves kindness costs little, but means everything.

I pack my son’s lunch every morning, even when there isn’t much to pack.Sometimes it’s just a peanut butter sandwich, a bruised apple, and maybe a granola bar from the clearance bin.

But it’s something. It’s nourishing. And in our home, that something is sacred.Usually, ten-year-old boys don’t talk much about bills or skipped meals, but Andrew knows more than I’d like. My son doesn’t ask for seconds. He doesn’t whine about repeats.And not once has he come home with anything left in his lunch box.

“Cleaned it out again, huh?” I joke most afternoons, shaking the empty container as he bends to take off his shoes.

“Yeah, Mom,” he says, setting the pair neatly by the door. Then he goes to feed the cat or start his math homework like it’s just another day.