Liam stiffened at his father’s voice. Grace, suddenly aware of who she was standing in front of, quickly tried to hand Liam back his jacket, terrified he’d assume she was taking advantage.
“Wait,” Daniel said gently. “Thank you. You’re… incredibly kind.”
“I was just helping,” she whispered. “He was scared.”
“I don’t want to go,” Liam suddenly blurted, clutching her sleeve. “She took care of me. No one takes care of me like she does.”
The words cut Daniel deeply. Grace simply murmured that children need to feel seen. When Daniel offered to drive her home, she instinctively declined—people like him never helped without expecting something.
But Liam tugged her hand and whispered, “Dad’s not bad… just sad.” The look in Daniel’s eyes made her pause, and finally she agreed—just to the light-rail station.
None of them knew that stormy meeting would change all their lives.
For weeks afterward, Daniel couldn’t shake the image of her soaked through, protecting his son. Liam kept asking, “Dad, when can we see Grace again?” Daniel tried to play it off, but he remembered every detail too.