“What are you doing out here?” Victor shouted over the thunder as he removed his jacket and tried to place it around her shoulders.
The girl stepped back immediately, clutching the bundle tighter.
Then a faint cry came from inside the cloth.
Victor froze.
It wasn’t a bag.
It wasn’t food.
It was a baby.
“My sister,” the girl said, her voice trembling from cold and exhaustion. “She’s hungry… please, sir. She’s really hungry.”
Victor carefully looked closer. Inside the cloth was a tiny baby girl only a few months old. Her lips were pale and her skin looked dangerously cold.
The truth struck Victor like a punch.
These children weren’t waiting for anyone.
They were trying to survive.
“Where are your parents?” he asked quietly, already fearing the answer.
The girl lowered her eyes.
“They left,” she whispered. “They said they couldn’t take care of us anymore. They promised they’d come back… but we’ve been walking for three days.”
Three days.
Three days in the rain with no food, carrying a baby while still being a child herself.
Victor felt anger and pity crash together inside him.
“Come with me,” he said firmly. “Get in the car.”