“Because I thought you could use some new things,” David replied. “Want to see?” Maya nodded vigorously, suddenly eating her ice cream faster. David laughed. “Take your time. The ice cream isn’t going anywhere, and neither are the presents.”
When she finished, David pulled out the first box. “Let’s see here,” he said, opening a shoe box. Inside was a pair of bright sneakers with lights that flashed on the soles. “Are they magic?” Maya asked in awe as David tapped the side to make them blink.
“They’re special sneakers,” he explained. “They light up when you walk.” With reverence, Maya touched the shoes. “Can I try them on?” “Of course.” David helped her slip them on, and they were a perfect fit.
Maya hopped down from the chair and took a few steps, squealing with delight as the lights flashed. “Look! They really work!” David smiled, feeling a sense of satisfaction that no business deal had ever given him. “There’s more,” he said, pointing to the other bags.
Inside were soft sweaters, jeans, t-shirts with cartoons, warm pajamas, and a beautiful light blue cotton dress with little embroidered flowers. “This is the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen,” Maya whispered, hugging the dress to her chest. Another bag had a toothbrush, strawberry toothpaste, and bubble bath.
“Is this all really mine?” Maya asked, looking overwhelmed. “All yours,” David confirmed. He hesitated before continuing. “Maya, I was thinking… you don’t really have a place to stay right now, do you?” The girl went still, as if afraid the magic might vanish.
“I have a big place with a couple of empty rooms,” David said, choosing his words carefully. “Would you like to stay with me, at least for a while?” Maya froze, her dark eyes searching David’s face for any sign of a joke. “Are you serious?” “I am.” “I really can?”
“Yes, you can. I have a room that can be yours, and tomorrow we can talk about school and getting you everything you need.” Tears began to stream down Maya’s face. Worried, David leaned in. “It’s okay. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. We can find another—”
He didn’t finish because Maya threw her arms around him, hugging him with all the strength her small frame could muster. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she sobbed. David hesitated for just a second before wrapping his arms around her in a protective embrace.
Something in his chest, something that had been dormant for a long time, woke up with a terrifying intensity. He promised himself right then that he would do everything in his power to protect this child. “Ready to go home?” he asked when she finally pulled back.
Maya nodded, wiping her eyes. “Can I wear my new dress?” “You can wear whatever you like,” David said. “They’re your clothes.” As David settled the bill, leaving a massive tip to make up for the drama, Maya stayed close to his side, clutching the bag with the blue dress.
The manager, still looking uncomfortable, approached as David signed the check. “Mr. Miller, we appreciate your business. I hope that despite the… incident… we can continue to see you here.” David looked up slowly.
“Steven, this ‘incident’ made me realize a few things. One of them is that I might need to reconsider the places I frequent. A place that views a hungry child as an ‘inconvenience’ might not be a place that deserves my money.” The manager turned pale. “I assure you, it was a misunderstanding. We were just—”
“There was no misunderstanding,” David interrupted. “I saw how you treated her before you knew she was with me.” He closed the check folder and slid it across the table. “Think about that.” Taking the bags in one hand and Maya’s hand in the other, David walked toward the exit.
On the way out, the older gentleman in the tweed suit stopped them. “Excuse me for intruding,” the man said with a kind smile. “But I couldn’t help but notice what happened tonight. I just wanted to say, you’ve restored a bit of my faith in humanity.” David, not used to sincere compliments, just nodded.
“The little lady is lucky,” the man continued, winking at Maya. “And so are you.” He walked away, leaving David to think about that. Andrew was waiting with the car at the curb. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Maya, but he remained professional.
“Good evening. The room is ready as requested.” “Thanks, Andrew. This is Maya,” David introduced them. “She’s going to be staying with us.” “Nice to meet you, Miss Maya,” Andrew said formally, opening the door. Maya looked at the luxury SUV. “We’re going in that?”
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