My Daughter's Meal, Not for Your Greed

Synopsis

As soon as the bell rang for dismissal, the kindergarten gate was swarming with parents. I took Lily's hand. She was clutching a fancy double-layered lunchbox. It was the premium kids' meal I'd specially ordered for her today. Inside was organic cornbread, pan-seared cod, broccoli and carrots, blueberry salad, and a small box of imported strawberries. Everything was put together by a nutritionist, with ingredients bought fresh that morning. The whole meal could cost nearly 30 dollars. Our family was somewhat well-off, and when it came to Lily's meals, I never held back. Lily was a bit on the frail side, so I wanted her to have clean, nutritious, and well-balanced food. But before we could leave, a loud, pushy voice stopped us. "Mrs. Dawson, wait up!" It was Carly Lewis, the mom of Mark Lewis, another kid in the class. She was all smiles, but her eyes were glued to Lily's lunchbox like it was a juicy steak. "Can I help you?" I asked coolly. Carly spoke with a familiarity, as if we were lifelong best friends. "You pack such great food for Lily every day, and there's always so much. A little kid like her can't finish it all." I didn't say anything but waited for her to continue. She gave a cheeky grin and tossed out her idea without hesitation. "How about this? I'll give you 3 dollars a day, and you'll let Mark share half of Lily's lunch. It's settled." 3 dollars for Lily's fancy meal?