One evening, Ethan attended a town gathering at the community center. It was a fundraiser for a local family who had lost their home in a fire. Ethan had baked a dozen apple pies for the event and spent the evening serving slices to a long line of grateful attendees.

"You're always there for everyone," a young woman named Clara said, her eyes full of admiration.

"Someone has to be," Ethan replied, his smile as warm as ever.

But that night, when Ethan returned home, the silence of his house greeted him like an old enemy. He sat at the kitchen table, staring at the empty chair across from him. He thought about how much of himself he gave away, piece by piece, to make others happy. He wondered if there would be anything left of him when it was all gone.