And for the first time in years, he saw her smile like that.
Not polite. Not forced.
Real.
It caught him off guard in a way nothing else had in a long time.
When Emily eventually stood to return to her duties, Mrs. Bennett reached out slightly.
“What’s your name, dear?” she asked.
“Emily,” she replied with a small smile.
The name lingered.
Later, as they prepared to leave, Richard finally spoke.
“Did you know my mother before today?” he asked, his tone calm but searching.
Emily shook her head. “No, sir.”
“Then why help her?”
She didn’t hesitate.
“Because she needed it.”
There was no performance in her answer. No attempt to impress.
Just truth.
Richard studied her for a moment, then reached into his pocket and placed a card on the table.
“Call me tomorrow.”
That was all he said before walking away.
That night, long after the café had emptied and the lights dimmed, Emily walked home slowly, the card feeling heavier than it should have in her hand.
At their small kitchen table, her younger brother, Lucas Carter, sat surrounded by books, his future balanced on late nights and determination.
She placed the card down in front of him.
He glanced at it, then at her.