Harper looked up in surprise and saw a little girl standing in front of her, no older than four, wearing a bright red coat with dark curls peeking out from under a knitted hat. In her small mittened hands she held a paper bag, and her eyes studied Harper with unusual seriousness.
“A little,” Harper replied quietly, trying to sound stronger than she felt. “But I will be okay.”
The girl tilted her head and glanced down at Harper’s bare feet before saying honestly, “You do not look okay.” Before Harper could respond, the girl held out the paper bag and added, “This is for you.”
Harper hesitated and asked gently, “What is inside?” The girl smiled with pride and said, “Cookies, my dad bought them for me, but you look hungry.”
Harper felt her chest tighten as she noticed a man standing several feet behind the child, tall and wrapped in a wool coat, watching silently without interrupting. She slowly accepted the bag and felt warmth spreading through the thin paper, then opened it to smell fresh butter and sugar rising from inside.