Tatiana was out on a walk. She wasn't allowed out much, but she did occasionally sneack out to roam the town. She lived in a beautiful city, although in recent months, the Spanish influenza had hit surrounding cities, and she knew it wouldn't be long until it became more common here. She and her family would have to move once it did; they couldn't risk Tati or her younger brother catching anything, even though the odds were slim. She tried to appreciate where they lived while she could.

As she walked through the market, she noticed a few girls from her class huddled nearby whispering amongst themselves. They weren't particularly nice, but Tatiana mostly ignored them. She walked past them to continue looking at vendors, catching their words change topic to her as she passed by. She pulled her cardigan tighter around her torso and pretended to be interested in a cabbage stand.

Behind her, she heard a thud and the sound of many things toppling to the ground. A woman's voice made an "oof!" sound, and a man said "Watch where you're going!"

Tatiana turned around to see a stocky man walking away from a woman whose goods were now scattered in front of her. Tatiana glanced around her and waved her hand, and the man tripped, falling face first into the group of Tatiana's classmates. She then hurried over to the woman on the ground.

"Are you alright?" she asked, kneeling down to help the lady pick up her groceries.

"Oh, yes," she said, although her voice sounded annoyed. "I'm just clumsy is all."

"And that jerk bumped into you," Tatiana added, earning a confirming shrug and nod.

"It's just a shame that my food is ruined and bruised now. These were the last of my paycheck," the woman said with a sigh. Her basket was now full of fruit and vegetables that had dirt and bruises on them.

Tatiana tried to think of a way she could help. She reached into her crossover bag and pulled out a small handful of money. Her family had plenty of it, so she counted out thirty five dollars, half of the emergency money she saved up from allowance, and handed it to the woman.

"Here," she said. "Take this, to replace your food."

The woman looked shocked. "I- are you serious?" she stammered. "Oh, no, dear, I can't accept that kind of money from a stranger. Especially with nothing to give you in return."

Tatiana smiled. She took the woman's hand, and put the money in it. "I insist. It wouldn't be right for you to go home without your groceries after an accident like that. Besides," she added. "My mother knows old recipes and tricks to clean up bruised food, so I could take care of your ruined stuff."

Before the woman could respond, a male voice called out, "Mother!"

Tatiana looked over to see the most good-looking boy she had ever seen rushing over.

"Mother, what happened?" he asked, kneeling down next to the lady and putting his hand on her back. "What happened to the food?"

"Some man bumped into me and everything spilled out," she explained. "But this kind girl came to help me and gave us money to replace it all."

The boy looked at Tatiana now, slightly confused. "In exchange for what?"

"Just your ruined food," Tatiana said. She opened her bag and carefully poured the dirty and bruised fruits and veggies into it. "My mother knows a few old tricks on how to use bruised food." She handed the basket back to the mother.

"I'm going to go buy our things," she said to her son, then stood up. He stood with her and held her hand.

"I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."

"Alright dear," she said. She then turned to Tatiana and smiled. "Thank you so much for your kindness. May good fortune find its way back to you." And with that, the woman hurried off to redo her shopping.

The boy offered Tatiana a hand up, and while trying not to let her cheeks blush, she took it and brushed off her knees.

"My name is Edward Masen," he said, giving her a small, crooked smile.

"Hey, that's cool," she said. "My last name is Mason too. I'm Tatiana."

Edward looked amused. "It's nice to meet you, Tatiana. Listen, I would really like to repay you for your kindness-"

"It really isn't a big deal, honest," Tati said, holding up her hand. "You don't need to-"

"No, no I insist," he said, cutting her off. "Can I take you to lunch?"

Tatiana wasn't sure what to say, or do. "You want to take me to lunch?" she managed out.

Edward chuckled softly. "If you'd like to, yes. We could go during school."

"Okay," Tati said, smiling at him. "That sounds nice."

"Then I will see you around," he said, tipping his hat slightly and walking off to find his mother.

Tatiana stood there for another few heartbeats before snapping her bag shut and hurrying home.