Lily twisted a paper napkin. “Maybe, if you don’t make it feel like charity. Grandma has a lot of pride.”
“I completely understand,” Edward assured her. “Perhaps I could offer a fair trade. There must be something I could do that would let her keep her dignity.”
By the time they finished lunch, Lily had agreed to introduce him to Martha that afternoon. As they walked toward the modest apartment complex near the river, the caution instilled by Edward’s lawyer fought with his desperate hope. What if it was all a coincidence? What if Martha really was Lily’s biological grandmother? What if his certainty was nothing more than a grieving father’s delusion?
The apartment was in a run-down brick building, but the hallway was clean. Lily led him to a small unit on the second floor. It was sparse but meticulously kept.
“Grandma!” Lily called out. “I brought him. The man I told you about.”
Martha Miller stepped into the small living room, and Edward’s first impression was one of quiet strength. Despite her circumstances, the older woman stood with a straight back, her gray hair pulled into a neat bun. Dressed in clean, though mended, clothes, she assessed Edward with a sharp, discerning gaze.
“Mr. Harrison,” she said, extending a hand. “Lily tells me you’ve been leaving food for her. I don’t know whether to thank you or scold you for encouraging her to talk to strangers.”
Edward shook her hand, noting the firm grip. “I understand your caution, Mrs. Miller. I’d feel the same way. But I owe Lily my life, and I’d like to repay that debt if you’ll let me.”
Martha gestured toward a pair of mismatched chairs. “Let’s sit and discuss exactly what you have in mind.”
Over the next hour, Edward laid out his proposal. Not charity, but an agreement. A better apartment in a safer neighborhood, paid tuition for Lily at a good private school, and help with Martha’s medical expenses in exchange for Martha’s commitment to ensuring Lily’s education. He was careful to frame it as an investment in Lily’s future rather than a handout.
“Why?” Martha asked bluntly when he finished. “Why is a man with your resources taking such an interest in a girl from this neighborhood and an old woman?”
The question hung in the air. Edward had prepared for this, but facing Martha’s piercing gaze, the rehearsed answers felt hollow.
“The truth is…” he began slowly. “She reminds me very much of my daughter, who disappeared two years ago. The resemblance is uncanny.”
Martha’s expression didn’t flicker. But something changed in her eyes. A flicker of something—caution, perhaps, or recognition.
“Many children share similar features,” she said guardedly.
“Yes,” Edward agreed. “But not identical scars in identical places.”
Martha’s hands tightened in her lap. “What exactly are you suggesting, Mr. Harrison?”
“I’m not suggesting anything yet,” Edward replied honestly. “I’m simply asking for the chance to help you both while I try to understand why a child who looks exactly like my lost daughter appeared just when I needed saving. Maybe it’s a coincidence. Maybe it’s something more.”
Martha studied him for a long moment before speaking. “We’ve been offered help before, Mr. Harrison. It usually comes with strings I’m not willing to pull.”
“The only string is Lily’s education,” Edward assured her. “Everything else—where you live, how you live, your independence—remains entirely your choice. And if we take the deal and you want to leave later, the first month’s rent and deposit will be in your name. You’ll be free to stay or go as you please. I’m not trying to trap you, Mrs. Miller. I’m trying to honor what Lily did for me.”
Martha glanced at her granddaughter, who had been watching the exchange with quiet intensity.
“What do you think, honey? You’re the one who found this man. Do you trust him?”
Lily considered the question seriously. “He seems different. Not like the other people who come around here. He listens when I talk, and he looks sad even when he’s smiling.”
The simple observation caught Edward off guard. It was exactly the kind of perceptive comment Emma would have made.
Martha nodded slowly. “Mr. Harrison, we accept your offer on a trial basis—one month. If at any point I feel Lily’s well-being is at risk, we walk away. Is that understood?”
“Completely,” Edward agreed, relief washing over him. “I took the liberty of looking at an apartment this morning. If it meets your approval, you could move in as early as this weekend.”
Two days later, Edward watched as Martha and Lily explored a modest two-bedroom apartment in a well-maintained building near a top-rated elementary school. It wasn’t luxury—that would have offended Martha’s pride—but it was clean, safe, and furnished with the basics.
“This bedroom will be yours, Lily,” Edward said, opening a door to reveal a simple room with a twin bed, a desk, and an empty bookshelf. “We can get whatever else you need tomorrow.”
Lily walked in cautiously, her fingers brushing the surface of the desk as if she couldn’t believe it was real. “My own room,” she whispered, turning to her grandmother. “Grandma, look, it’s a real bed!”
Martha stood in the doorway, emotion momentarily breaking through her stoic expression. “It’s very nice, Lily.”
As Lily explored the rest of the apartment, Martha pulled Edward aside. “I need to make one thing clear, Mr. Harrison. Whatever you think about Lily’s identity, she is my granddaughter in every way that matters. I have raised her, loved her, and protected her. That bond is not up for negotiation.”
“I understand,” Edward replied solemnly. “And I respect that completely.”
As he left them to settle in, promising to return the next day with groceries and school enrollment papers, Edward felt a conflicted mix of hope and uncertainty. He had found them, gained their trust, and secured their immediate future. But the questions remained: Was Lily really Emma? And if so, how had she come to live as Martha Miller’s granddaughter?
