The sky clouded over, the wind picked up, and the rain began to fall heavily. As she searched for shelter, an unexpected noise caught her attention.
Tears.
Under a pine tree, soaked and shivering, was a boy of about nine years old. He was huddled together, his teeth chattering in the cold.
Claire approached slowly.
She gave him his raincoat, reassured him, and led him to her tent so he could warm up.
The boy's name was Lucas .
A night that could have turned out differently
In the small, wind-swept tent, Claire prepared hot tea and a simple soup. Lucas was still trembling, but he eventually calmed down.
Before falling asleep, he whispered a phrase to her that deeply affected her.
"You saved my life."
Claire simply replied that that's what adults did.
