Mark obeyed.
An Invitation That Changed Their Fate
Rain nearly knocked him off his feet when he stepped outside, leaning heavily on his cane. His body fought him with every breath, but he pushed forward.
The oldest girl stood in front of her sisters, chin raised in shaky defiance.
“We don’t have anything you can take,” she said.
Grant’s heart cracked at the steel in her voice.
“I’m not here to take,” he answered gently. “I’d like to offer help.”
Their names, he would soon learn, were Ava, June, Lila, and Beth—eight-year-old sisters who had learned too early how to survive without anyone’s protection.
“You don’t need to be strong tonight,” Grant said.
He wasn’t sure if he was talking to them or himself.
Ava hesitated, torn between fear and the instinct to protect her sisters. But when June swayed from cold and Beth’s lips turned blue, her resolve broke.
She gave a tiny nod.
Within moments, Dana and Mark wrapped the girls in warm blankets and guided them into the car.
For the first time in who-knew-how-long, the girls felt warmth.
