Mike lived in a grand mansion, the kind most kids only see in movies—gleaming marble floors, a sparkling pool, and rooms he still hadn’t explored. His closet overflowed with designer clothes, and shelves were packed with the latest toys. But none of it could fill the quiet space left by his father’s absence.
His dad, Tim, was the head of a thriving tech company, constantly caught up in meetings and overseas deals. Even when he was physically home, his mind stayed locked in work—on calls, glued to screens, distracted.
One day, Mike stood in the doorway of his father’s office. “Dad, want to see my science project?”
“Not now, Mike. Big deal with Tokyo,” Tim replied, eyes still on his laptop.
Mike quietly closed the door. That scene had played out too many times—missed games, skipped events, lost moments.
Christine, Mike’s mother, always tried to offer comfort. “He works hard so we can have all this,” she’d say. But Mike would’ve traded every luxury for just an hour playing catch.
One day, looking for something more, Mike wandered past the gates of his home. That’s when he met Tony, an elderly neighbor living in a humble house down the road. The yard was filled with barking dogs—rescues, as Mike later learned.
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