Chapter 10 - Dela’s Past Finally Revealed
Later that afternoon, while Ruth rested comfortably under medical supervision, Dela sat in the quiet hospital cafeteria with Knox.
A steaming cup of black coffee sat untouched between Knox’s hands as he looked across the table at the young single mother.
“You never told me how you ended up living in that run-down tenement building, Dela,” Knox prompted gently.
Dela stared down at her coffee cup, her fingers tracing the rim as old, painful memories surfaced behind her eyes.
“My husband left us three years ago when Mia was just a baby, taking every dollar we had saved,” Dela spoke softly.
“I lost our apartment, my car, and my job within the same month, trying to stay afloat in a city that eats people alive.”
“You survived on the streets with a toddler,” Knox stated, his voice carrying a deep, unspoken admiration.
“I worked three cleaning jobs by day and washed dishes by night just to keep a roof over my daughter’s head,” Dela answered.
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“And yet, when you had almost nothing to give, you shared your food with an old woman who couldn't remember her own name,” Knox said.
“Because kindness isn't something you only afford when you’re rich, Mr. Hartley. It’s what keeps us human when we’re broke,” Dela replied.
