A thin, dirty little girl slowly pushing an old, rusted bicycle along the gravel path. A large sack filled with empty bottles hung over the handlebars. The bag clinked softly with every step she took.
Something about her made Daniel pause.
At first, he couldn’t explain why.
Then he saw it—the way she furrowed her brow in concentration. The small dimple that appeared at the corner of her mouth when she briefly smiled to herself. A gesture he had seen countless times in photographs that now lived in frames around their home.
His heart gave a violent thump.
Emily followed his gaze and quietly stepped closer to him.
“Daniel… look carefully,” she whispered.
He did.
And suddenly his pulse was pounding so loudly he could hear it in his ears.
The girl noticed them staring and stiffened. Instinctively, she stepped backward, gripping the bicycle tighter as if preparing to run.
Daniel slowly lifted both hands in a calming gesture.
“Hey… it’s okay,” he said gently. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
Emily crouched down until she was at the girl’s eye level, her voice soft and warm.
“Hi there, sweetheart. Are you here all by yourself?”
The girl’s expression hardened instantly.