Scott stood in line at the checkout counter, his eyes fixed on the few items he had managed to grab from the shelves - a pack of cigarettes and a couple of snacks. He cursed under his breath as he mentally calculated the cost, knowing that he didn't have enough money to cover it.

He felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to see his three-year-old daughter, Lily, looking up at him with her big brown eyes. She was a spitting image of her mother, the woman who had brought Lily into this world but had left it too soon. Scott had adopted her after her mother's passing, determined to give her the best life he could.

But today, as he stood at the checkout counter, he couldn't even afford a pack of cigarettes to help him cope with the stress and anxiety of their situation. He felt like a failure as a father, unable to provide for his daughter.

The clerk announced the total and Scott's heart sank as he counted the few crumpled bills he had in his wallet. It wasn't enough. He couldn't even afford the cigarettes, let alone the snacks for Lily.

He muttered a swear word under his breath as he apologized to the clerk and started to put back the items. But Lily started to cry and whine. Scott's heart broke. He couldn't even give his little girl a simple treat.