At just twelve years old, Brian Devlin was small for his age and not particularly athletic. His father, Gary, struggled to understand him. Unlike Gary, who had been a rowdy, energetic child always getting into mischief, Brian was quiet, bookish, and introverted. Gary did his best to boost his son’s confidence, but no matter how hard he tried, Brian always seemed to withdraw even more.

Despite his reserved nature, Brian was intelligent, and his academic achievements earned him a scholarship at a prestigious private school across town. The only problem was that Brian was too nervous to take the bus. Since Gary worked nearby as a desk sergeant at the local precinct, he picked Brian up every afternoon.

During winter, Brian spent his time in the library, reading and doing homework while waiting for his dad. But in the summer, he enjoyed sitting on the school steps, soaking up the sunshine. One particular afternoon, when Gary arrived, Brian wasn’t waiting on the steps as usual. Instead, he stood outside the school gates, petting a golden retriever with a wide grin on his face.

“Look, Dad!” Brian called out excitedly. “Watch this! Dance!”

To Gary’s surprise, the dog stood on its hind legs, doing a little jig with its tongue hanging out playfully.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Brian asked enthusiastically.

Gary, intrigued by his son’s excitement, nodded. “That’s impressive. Whose dog is this?”

Brian pointed toward a man sitting on the pavement against the school fence. He appeared to be in his forties and was clearly homeless, with unkempt hair and a bundle of blankets beside him. However, the golden retriever was well-groomed and healthy, a stark contrast to its owner’s worn appearance.

“His name is Carl,” Brian explained. “And this is Goblin!”

Gary frowned. The man shrank back under his scrutiny, and an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. “Come on, Brian, it’s time to go,” he said firmly.

On the way home, Gary turned to his son. “I don’t want you spending time with that man and his dog. You understand?”

Brian’s face fell. “But Dad, Carl is nice! And I love Goblin!”

“I’m sure Goblin is a great dog, but I don’t want you befriending vagrants. Do you understand?”

Brian tried to protest, but Gary shut down the conversation with a sharp look.

The next day, when Gary arrived at the school, Brian was sitting on the steps, nose buried in a book. But later that night, his wife noticed that half of a roast chicken had mysteriously disappeared.

“I don’t understand,” she said, frustrated. “I saved it to make Brian’s lunch for tomorrow!”

Gary glanced at Brian, who looked suspiciously innocent. Over the next few days, he noticed that canned sausages and other food items kept vanishing. He put two and two together—Brian was sneaking food to Carl and Goblin.

Two days later, Gary left work early and arrived at the school to find Brian outside the gates, handing over a bag of food. “Hey, guys! I brought your favorite—spaghetti for you, Carl, and sausages for Goblin!”

“BRIAN!” Gary’s voice boomed. “What are you doing?”

Brian looked up in alarm, fear flashing in his eyes. Gary felt an immediate surge of anger. His son was afraid of him—but why? His frustration shifted to Carl. “Get away from that man,” he ordered. “Get in the car!”

That night, Gary and his wife sat Brian down for a serious conversation about the dangers of befriending strangers. But Brian wasn’t convinced. “Dad, Carl is not like that. He’s a good person. You can tell because Goblin loves him!”

Gary sighed. “Brian, a good dog doesn’t mean someone is a good person. You don’t know anything about him. Stay away from him.”

Brian stood abruptly. “Why do you always have to ruin everything? I hate you!” he yelled before storming off.

Determined to put an end to the situation, Gary made a decision.

That Saturday, Brian woke up to frantic barking outside his window. Peering outside, he was shocked—it was Goblin! The dog stood on the porch, whining anxiously.

“Goblin?” Brian ran downstairs and opened the door. The dog rushed to him, pressing its head into his lap. “What’s wrong, boy? Where’s Carl?”

Goblin only whimpered and trembled. Brian knew something was wrong. For the first time, he did something he had always been too scared to do—he went to his father’s precinct to ask for help.

When Gary saw his son standing there with the dog, he was stunned. “Brian! What are you doing here?”

“Dad, something happened to Carl! Goblin came to find me, and he looks scared…” But as soon as Goblin saw Gary, the dog growled.

Brian’s heart sank. “Dad… what did you do?”

Gary hesitated before admitting, “Carl was warned twice for loitering near the school. We arrested him.”

Tears welled in Brian’s eyes. “Dad, he’s not a criminal! He’s sick, and he needs help! Did you even ask about him? He’s a veteran—he was in the bomb squad. That’s why Goblin is so well-trained!”

Gary was speechless. He had never considered Carl’s story. Feeling ashamed, he decided to investigate. He soon discovered that Carl had a sister in another state who had been searching for him for years. Gary reached out to her, and she was overjoyed.

Carl’s sister took him home and enrolled him in a mental health program. Of course, Goblin went with him. Brian missed them both, especially Goblin.

One evening, Gary returned home with a big grin and something hidden under his jacket. He revealed a wriggling golden retriever puppy and handed it to Brian.

Brian gasped, eyes wide with joy. “Goblin?”

His dad chuckled. “Meet Goblin Two.”

Brian hugged his dad tightly. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly understood.

Lesson Learned: Never judge people before you know their story. Gary assumed Carl was just another vagrant, but Brian’s kindness and empathy led to a man getting the help he desperately needed. And in the end, love and compassion made all the difference.