The rain poured down from the bruised gray sky, drenching everything beneath it. Streets shimmered with puddles, and thunder rolled across the distant hills. But none of it mattered to Lily.
She was crying.
Not the soft kind of crying that fades quietly. Lily was crying hard—chest shaking, mouth open, eyes swollen and red. Her thin dress clung to her small frame as the cold water soaked her skin. She had no umbrella. No coat. No hand to hold.
She had lost her mom.
Just hours earlier, she was holding her mother’s hand as they walked down the sidewalk near the old bus station. It had all happened so fast. A screech of tires. A scream. People shouting. Then silence. Paramedics. Police. Flashing lights. And her mother… not moving.
Now, Lily wandered through the streets, alone, soaked, and invisible to most of the world. The adults passed by with umbrellas, avoiding eye contact. Cars splashed past without slowing down. The world didn’t stop just because one little girl had her heart broken.
Her stomach growled loudly.
She hadn’t eaten since morning, and it was nearly dark now. She didn’t know where to go. Home didn’t feel like home anymore. It was just a place where her mother wouldn’t be waiting by the door with warm food and a soft voice.
Lily stopped at the edge of a convenience store. She pressed herself against the wall, shivering under the flickering light. The door opened and closed as people came and went, but no one noticed her. She curled up, arms around her knees, tears blending with rain on her face.
A soft voice interrupted her sobs.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Lily looked up, blinking through the rain. A woman knelt beside her, holding a large red umbrella. She looked warm, kind—her face filled with concern.
“You’re soaked,” the woman said gently. “Where’s your family?”
Lily tried to speak, but her throat caught. She could only whisper, “I lost my mom…”
The woman’s face fell. She reached out slowly. “Come with me. You shouldn’t be alone.”
Lily hesitated, but something about the woman’s eyes reminded her of her mother’s. Kind. Safe. She took the stranger’s hand.
Inside the store, the woman bought her a warm sandwich, a bottle of water, and a small blanket from the shelf. They sat on a bench near the window while Lily ate in silence. Her crying had quieted, but the sadness still hung heavy in her heart.
“You’re not alone,” the woman said softly. “I don’t know what tomorrow brings, but right now, you’re safe.”
And in that moment, wrapped in a blanket and kindness, Lily believed her.
