Chapter 1: The Bread Behind Glass
The bakery fell silent the moment the boy spoke.
“She hasn’t eaten since yesterday…”
The words hung in the air like smoke that refused to fade.
The bakery woman—Mara—stared at him longer than she should have. She had seen hunger before. But not like this. Not in a child trying to be strong for another child smaller than his own arms could protect.
The toddler’s weak fingers tightened around the boy’s hoodie. Her breathing was shallow, uneven. Not crying anymore—just surviving.
Behind the glass, the pastries suddenly felt different. Not beautiful. Not valuable. Just… unreachable.
Mara slowly stepped out from behind the counter.
“Come here,” she said quietly.
The boy flinched.
Not because of fear.
Because kindness was harder to trust than anger.
She opened the side gate of the counter and crouched to their level. Up close, she saw the truth—this wasn’t just poverty. It was exhaustion. The kind that comes from too many nights with nothing.
“What’s her name?” she asked.
The boy hesitated.
May you like
“…Lily.”
Mara nodded once, as if remembering that name mattered more than anything else in the shop.
