A quiet woman with weathered hands.
A silver cross around her neck.
And grief she carried silently in her heart.
Years earlier, she had buried her own son.
So when she heard about a sick little girl needing care…
Something inside her told her she needed to go.
The first moment Martha saw Sophie, her heart nearly broke.
The bedroom looked magical.
Like a princess’s dream.
Soft pink curtains.
Stuffed animals.
Beautiful paintings.
But the child lying in that bed…
Looked like a ghost.
“Hello there, sweetheart…” Martha said gently as she stepped closer.
Sophie slowly opened her eyes.
“Are you an angel?”
Martha swallowed the lump in her throat.
“No, baby… but I’m here now.”
Sophie reached for her hand.
Her tiny fingers were freezing cold.
Weak.
“It hurts so much,” she whispered.
She pointed toward her stomach.
Martha carefully held her, as though Sophie might shatter.
And for the first time in what felt like forever…
The little girl smiled.
Just a little.
But everything changed that same night.
Vanessa entered the room.
Her expensive perfume filled the air.
Her expression was calm.
Too calm.
“Time for your vitamins,” she said sweetly.
But the smile never touched her eyes.
Sophie immediately stiffened.