Alice’s heart went out to Christopher, the young boy who often collected leftovers from her restaurant.
She was concerned when she realized he was regularly taking the food home, but it didn’t seem like he was just hungry. Something about his situation didn’t add up, and Alice couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something.
One day, after giving him food to take home again, Alice decided to follow him. What she discovered shocked her. Instead of going to an orphanage, Chris dropped the food off at a house, where an older woman appeared, took the bag, and went back inside. Alice was stunned. Who was this woman, and what was going on?
The next day, she confronted Chris at the restaurant. He quickly admitted he had lied, explaining that he was taking the food for his grandmother. Chris revealed that after his parents had passed away, his grandmother had been unable to get custody of him due to financial struggles. So, he had been living in the orphanage, all the while secretly caring for his grandmother by bringing her food.
Touched by Chris’s dedication to his grandmother, Alice couldn’t let them continue in such a difficult situation. She went straight to Edith’s house, Chris’s grandmother, and shared the truth with her. Edith was overwhelmed with emotion when she realized it had been her grandson secretly providing for her all along.
With a deep sense of compassion, Alice went to the orphanage, applied for custody of Chris, and soon he was able to return to live with his grandmother. Edith, grateful beyond words, thanked Alice profusely. Alice, understanding how precious family was, simply smiled and reassured her that it was her pleasure to help.
But Alice didn’t stop there. When she saw Edith’s distress about being unable to support Chris, Alice offered her a solution. Instead of offering a job at her restaurant as Edith had expected, Alice surprised her with a heartfelt request. She asked Edith if she would be willing to take her in as her own daughter. Alice, who had lost both of her parents at a young age, was looking for someone who could love her as a mother.
Edith, overwhelmed with emotion, agreed without hesitation. “I’ll never be able to repay you,” she said, embracing Alice. “You came into our lives like an angel.”
Alice, with tears in her eyes, responded, “I don’t need thanks. I’ve found my family now, and that’s the greatest wealth I could ever have.”
In that moment, Alice gained something far more valuable than any material possession: the warmth of a family and the love that comes with it. And for Chris and Edith, they had finally found the support and care they needed, thanks to Alice’s unwavering compassion.