“Where do you live?”
“Four blocks that way,” Grace said, pointing through the falling snow.
Daniel stood and made a decision.
“Can you take me to her?”
Grace nodded and stood, wobbling slightly. Daniel realized she must have been sitting outside for quite some time.
He removed his overcoat and wrapped it around her small shoulders.
“Come on,” he said, offering his hand. “Let’s go see your mom.”
They walked slowly through the storm, Daniel matching his pace to her smaller steps. The wind had grown stronger, and visibility was getting worse. He couldn’t believe this child had managed to walk through the blizzard alone.
The apartment building she led him to was old and worn, located in a struggling part of downtown. The brick walls were cracked and weathered. The front door stuck before finally opening.
They climbed three narrow flights of stairs before Grace stopped at apartment 3C and knocked.
“It’s me, Mom,” she called. “I found him.”
The door opened almost immediately.
Daniel barely recognized the woman standing there.