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He pulled his faded blue jacket tighter around his chest. It wasn\u2019t much of a jacket. The zipper was broken, the sleeves too short, and it smelled like the street. But it was the last thing his mother had ever bought him.<\/p>\n
Sarah Williams had battled cancer for two long years. Even when her body failed her, she still held her son\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cLife will take things from you, Marcus,\u201d she whispered from her hospital bed, her voice barely holding together. \u201cBut don\u2019t let it take your heart. Kindness is the one thing no one can steal.\u201d<\/p>\n
At twelve, Marcus didn\u2019t fully understand death.<\/p>\n
But he understood how to cling to words when everything else was slipping away.<\/p>\n
After the funeral, the system placed him in foster care. The Hendricks smiled when social workers came by\u2014and turned cold the moment the door closed. They didn\u2019t want a child. They wanted the government check.<\/p>\n
Marcus learned to eat leftovers after everyone else finished.
Learned to stay silent.
Learned what a belt felt like for \u201cmisbehavior.\u201d
Learned how damp and dark a basement could be when someone locked the door.<\/p>\n