"Why suffer in silence?" she asked, her voice gentle but firm.
The words echoed in my mind as I stood there, soaked to the bone, the cold rain dripping from my clothes and hair. But her presence made the biting chill recede, if only slightly. She stood close to me, holding the umbrella over my head, shielding me from the relentless downpour that I had forced myself to endure as penance. I didn't deserve shelter. I didn't deserve warmth. But there she was, offering it anyway, without a second thought.
