It was a gray, rainy morning when nine-year-old Laura’s life took a dramatic turn.
Holding tightly to her mother Lucy’s hand, she watched as their apartment door was locked for the last time. Their few belongings were placed on the sidewalk—everything they owned after falling behind on rent.
Lucy had faced tough times over the years. A once-hopeful hairdresser, she had dreamed of opening her own salon. But life had taken some unexpected turns after the sudden loss of Laura’s father. Trying to cope with grief, Lucy lost jobs and stability, and eventually, their home.
With nowhere to go, mother and daughter found themselves on the streets. Some nights they stayed in crowded shelters, other times on benches or under overpasses. Through it all, Lucy worked hard to stay strong. She joined support groups and took a part-time cleaning job at a church, determined to turn things around. Laura, wise beyond her years, helped wherever she could—always with a smile.
One chilly morning, they were walking near the train station on their way to get a warm meal at St. Mark’s Church. That’s when Laura noticed something—beneath a pile of wet leaves, there was a leather wallet.
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