Sweet Connections

In 1977, a 14-year-old named Carlos mowed lawns every Saturday in his San Antonio

neighborhood. One house had a FOR SALE sign and a moving truck. The widow,

Mrs. Delgado, sat on the steps watching strangers pack her life into boxes.

Carlos knocked. “Need help, ma’am?”She waved him off. “I can’t pay you,

mijo.” He shrugged. “I’m not asking.”For three days, he hauled furniture,

swept floors, carried lamps to the curb. Mrs. Delgado gave him iced tea and

stories about her late husband, a baker who made the best pan dulce in town.

On the last day, she pressed a worn recipe card into his hand. “His concha recipe.