The problem was that Denver was in the opposite direction from my delivery destination.
Turning around meant missing my deadline, and my boss would almost certainly fire me.
I looked at his frozen hands and said, “Get in. We’ll figure something out.”
His name was Walter.
During our first hour together, he told me everything.
His wife, Cathy, had been receiving treatment in Denver for months while he worked two jobs back home to pay her medical bills.
That morning, her doctors had called to say she probably had only a few days left.
Walter was 72.
He had been trying to reach Denver through a combination of canceled flights, unavailable buses, and rides that hadn’t gotten him nearly far enough.
The last driver had left him at a roadside stop, where he’d tried unsuccessfully to arrange another ride.
“I promised her I’d be there,” Walter whispered, wiping his eyes.
“I can’t let her die alone.”