Her heart shook with a strange mix of fear and awe. Slowly, she dragged the boxes inside and shut the door behind her.
The first box was surprisingly light. She cut the tape with kitchen scissors, her hands trembling. Inside was a brand-new sewing machine—sleek, modern, the kind she had admired through shop windows and never dared to buy. Beneath it sat a thick envelope and a folded letter.
Two thousand dollars, stacked neatly.
She pressed a hand to her mouth, stunned.
Then she unfolded the letter.
It was from St. Catherine’s.
They wrote about the monthly bags that appeared like clockwork. How children had stayed warm in her sweaters, wrapped themselves in her scarves, tugged her hats over their ears and bragged about them. They explained that a local donor had recently given the orphanage a significant gift, and the staff agreed some of that generosity belonged to the person who had been quietly giving for years. They thanked her, and then asked something that made her vision blur.
They wanted to work with her officially. Pay her fairly. Let the children meet the woman who had kept them warm. Continue reading…
