Stephanie C. answered • 02/10/21
University of Florida Graduate With Passion for Education
I had never seen such desperation in a man's eyes. I thought perhaps this could be another homeless man looking for food, the church does give them bread, but I've never seen a homeless man with a baby. I'd never seen a baby that small.
The man's clothes were tattered with mud. His arms were brittle under the loose tarp of his stained t-shirt. The baby remained clean, untouched. Not even a drop of rain had trespassed on her cheek. The old man dropped to his knees, cradling the newborn.
"Please, ma'am, you must take the queen," he whispered as he fought to find his voice.
The church doors remained open just behind him. The sideways rain slapped the tall oak doors with intention and fury. I dropped the mop and ran for the man and his precious package.
I secured my grip behind the baby's head, and then lifted her into my chest. The man released all efforts to stay upright, and fell completely to the ground.
"Sir! Are you ok? Who are you? HELP!" I rambled at once. No one was there to help us, and I knew that.
"Are you hurt?" I leaned onto the ground, trying to pry the man up with one arm under his right shoulder. I begged him to answer me.
My demands were useless. He was gone.
My heart started beating too fast for me to ignore it. It felt as if I was collapsing in on myself; the pit in my stomach started to swallow the rest of me.
As I panicked and looked to the harsh rains that spat on my cheeks, I looked down.
Her eyes were amber and looked to be made of melted good. Her beauty was mesmerizing. The storm winds, the sweat down my back and the dead man next to me all went dumb when I saw who she was.
NOTE: This is a little over word count, so you may want to trim it.
