At first, it sounded like the kind of offer no one would believe: show up at a nursing home, sit with an elderly woman, and pretend to be the son who no longer visited her.
He did not accept because it felt right. He accepted because life had become expensive and unforgiving. His mother was dealing with serious health problems, medical bills were mounting, and every month brought another round of hard choices. Long hours at work still were not enough to make him feel secure.
So when a stranger offered money for something that seemed simple on paper, he listened. The task was uncomfortable, but the payment could help keep his own family afloat.
All he had to do was walk into Room 214 and become someone else for a little while.