The restaurant was loud in the way fast-food places often are—beeping timers, rustling wrappers, a low hum of conversations overlapping one another. I had stopped in for something quick, expecting nothing more than caffeine and a few quiet minutes to myself. At the table beside me sat a woman and a young girl, close enough that I could sense their presence without trying to listen. The child’s voice was gentle, hopeful, asking small questions that carried big meaning. There was an innocence in the way she looked around, as if this ordinary place felt special to her, like a rare outing instead of just another stop along the day.
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