Daniel studied him. The boy was thin, clearly malnourished, yet his spirit seemed unbroken. “Why did you come here?”

Leo shrugged. “I was hungry. But then I saw her. She looked sad. So I… I just wanted to make her smile.”

Emily tugged at her father’s sleeve, her first words in weeks trembling out: “Papa… he’s funny. Can he stay?”

Daniel’s throat tightened. For months he had longed to hear her voice, and now it was pleading for this boy.

That evening, Daniel made a decision that stunned everyone who knew him.