All season, we've been listening to stories from people who, despite challenges, have found ways to begin again.

I showed you the pictures of my house. You know, here's the basement I fixed up for you and you said, I'm going to be living like a king.

I feel like we're reconnected.

Yeah, thanks so too. I mean, we talk pretty much every week.

I want to thank you for everything because if you would not have pushed me, I don't think I would be anywhere near where I am right now.

It's the StoryCore podcast from NPR. I'm Camila Kashani.

In this week's episode, how worlds that quite literally collided, led to unexpected friendships and new career paths.

Our first story takes us back to 1984. Jeff Wilson had just started his junior year at Dublin High School in California and was driving himself to class.

I had my uncle's car, which was a 1960 Chevy Impala.

The ventilation wasn't that great in it and it was kind of a moist morning. The windows were fogged and so the sun was shining right into it. I didn't see anybody in the crosswalk.

I felt a thud and I was like, what? I slammed a brace and I saw something fly over the hood of my car.

That something was actually one of Jeff's classmates, a freshman named Tammy Beard.

She survived, but that accident stuck with Jeff for the next 30 years until 2015 when he sat down for StoryCore with Tammy.

They'd exchanged a couple of messages beforehand, but this was their first time meeting in person since high school.

I saw you lying there and I pulled over and you know, got out and you were unconscious. I was absolutely sure that I'd killed you.

And then for a few days after that, I really did not want to live. I just felt like dirt. But I called to find out how you were.

And I remember speaking with your dad and he could have just been I rade and angry and I was prepared for that because I felt that's what I deserved.

But I told him how sorry I was and he said, I know what you're going through because I went through that same thing when he was about my age.

He'd hit a child that had run into the street after a ball and got really hurt. He said that he forgave me and I'm forever grateful for that.

I'm glad that that day he answered the phone because he was just so kind and he didn't hold grudges. I'm surprised honestly he didn't make you come over for dinner.

Now I didn't know you when I hit you.

Right. And then after the accident, you were avoiding me in the hallways.

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