I smiled pleasantly . " That's me . " Caleb blinked , a flash of disbelief on his face , " You're the ' Mom ' ? " " Is there a problem ? " I asked , feigning innocence . " What , you think someone born after 2000 can't be a Dorm Mom ? " 1114 Chapter 1 " No , no , that's not what I meant , " he stammered , the righteous anger he'd clearly been building up completely deflating . " Ma'am - l mean , Miss - did you by any chance confiscate some letters addressed to Andrea ? They were from me . Just ... normal letters . " I studied him closely . He had a handsome , earnest face , with clear eyes that held a stubborn sort of naivety . Slowly , I pulled out the grimy letters . " Are these what you're talking about ? " His face lit up . " Yes , those are them ! " Then his brow furrowed . " Why are they so dirty ? " " Because , " I said , my voice gentle , " I fished them out of the trash can . " I let out a soft sigh . " And this wasn't the first time . I've seen letters just like these , sitting right on top of the garbage , several times now . " I pulled out my phone and opened the photo gallery , showing him several pictures . " I have to take pictures every day to docu- ment that the recycling is sorted properly . I just happened to catch these in the shot . " The color drained from Caleb's face , bit by bit . Then , I pulled up the security footage . The video clearly showed Andrea opening a package , taking the gift , and casually tossing the accompanying letter into the trash without a second glance . When the video ended , Office I softened my tone . " Look , kid , re it . " was silent . Caleb just stood there , his lips pressed into a thin , white line . Hablame things just aren't meant to be . You should give your heart to someone who will actually treasu- I gently pushed the stack of letters across the desk toward him . " These belong to you . Whether you keep trying or decide to cut your losses ... that's your call . " Caleb was silent for a long time . Finally , he reached out and took the letters . " Thank you , " he whispered . As I watched his heartbroken figure walk away , I savored the moment . The System pinged . Caleb's affection for Andrea had dropped to 40 % . I clicked my tongue . Childhood sweethearts , man . The bond runs deep . Even after all that , he was still 40 % in . No matter . I had time .