The evening rush at Riverside Bistro was just beginning to wind down. Claire Bennett wiped down the outdoor tables one more time, her feet aching in the sensible canvas sneakers she wore during her long shifts. At 26, she’d been working at the Bistro for nearly 3 years, ever since she’d moved to the city with dreams of becoming a teacher only to find that paying rent while attending night classes was harder than she’d imagined.

Claire had platinum blonde hair pulled back in a practical ponytail and she wore the Bistro’s uniform a crisp white button-down shirt beneath a navy blue apron that tied at the waist paired with black pants. The uniform was simple but professional and Claire took pride in her appearance even after hours of serving customers.

The Bistro occupied a corner location in the renovated warehouse district where old brick buildings had been transformed into trendy restaurants, art galleries and lofts. It was the kind of neighborhood where young professionals grabbed lattes before work and families strolled on weekend afternoons. Claire loved working there loved the energy of the street even if her paycheck barely covered her studio apartment and student loan payments.

She’d just finished clearing the last outdoor table when she noticed a little girl sitting on the curb across the street. The child couldn’t have been more than 5 or 6 years old with light brown hair pulled into a small ponytail. She wore a cream-colored coat that looked expensive white sneakers and what appeared to be a school uniform beneath the coat.

But what caught Claire’s attention was the way the little girl was sitting, hunched over slightly looking small and lost despite the nice clothes. Claire glanced around looking for a parent or guardian but saw no one paying attention to the child. The street was busy with evening pedestrians, people in business suits heading home from work, couples walking to dinner a few tourists taking photos of the historic buildings but no one seemed to notice the little girl sitting alone on the curb. Claire felt a flutter

of concern. She looked back at the Bistro where her manager was inside counting the register. Her shift was technically over. She’d worked a double from 11:00 in the morning until 7:00 in the evening and she was exhausted but something about that little girl sitting alone troubled her. Making a decision Claire grabbed her own dinner from behind the counter, a turkey and cheese sandwich the kitchen had made for her wrapped in paper and crossed the street.

“Hi there.” Claire said gently as she approached kneeling down so she’d be at the child’s eye level. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” The little girl looked up and Claire saw that her eyes were red-rimmed as if she’d been crying. Up close, Claire could see that despite the expensive clothes, the child looked tired and sad and very young.

“I’m okay.” The little girl said in a small voice. But she didn’t sound okay at all. “Are you waiting for someone?” Claire asked. “Your mom or dad?” The little girl nodded. “My daddy.” “He said to wait right here that he’d just be a minute but it’s been a really long time.” Her lower lip trembled. “And I’m hungry.

” “We were supposed to get dinner.” “But then daddy got a phone call and said it was important and I should wait.” Claire felt her heart squeeze. She looked around again searching for any adult who might be looking for a child but saw no one. “How long have you been waiting?” Claire asked. The little girl shrugged.

“I don’t know.” “A long time. The sun was still higher.” She pointed vaguely at the sky. Claire made a quick calculation. It was nearly 7:30 now and the sun had set around 6:00. So at least an hour and a half, possibly longer, this child had been sitting alone on a curb for over an hour. “What’s your name?” Claire asked.

“Lily.” The girl said. “Lily Anderson.” “That’s a beautiful name.” “I’m Claire.” She smiled warmly. “Lily, I work at that restaurant right over there.” She pointed to the Bistro. “I just finished my shift and they made me a sandwich for dinner.” “But I haven’t eaten yet and honestly, I’m not that hungry.

Would you like to have it? You said you were hungry.” Lily’s eyes widened as she looked at the sandwich Claire was holding. “Really? You’d give me your dinner?” “Of course.” Claire said. “I can always make myself something when I get home.” “Besides, I had a big lunch.” This was a lie. She’d eaten a small salad during her break but Claire didn’t want Lily to feel guilty about accepting food.

She unwrapped the sandwich and handed it to Lily who took it with both hands as if it were precious. “Thank you.” Lily said and she took a bite. Claire watched the relief wash over the child’s face as she ate and realized Lily must have been truly hungry. “Do you have a phone number for your daddy?” Claire asked as Lily ate. “Maybe we could try calling him?” “I don’t know his number.

” Lily said around a mouthful of sandwich. “It’s in my backpack but I left my backpack in daddy’s car.” “Okay.” Claire said thinking. “Can you tell me what your daddy looks like?” “Maybe if I see him, I can help him find you.” “He’s really tall.” Lily said. “And he has dark hair.” “And he wears fancy suits.

Today his suit was black.” She took another bite of sandwich. “He’s very handsome.” “That’s what everyone says and he’s important. He works a lot.” Claire felt a mixture of concern and frustration. A tall man in a black suit could describe half the businessmen in this neighborhood and the detail about him working a lot combined with the fact that he’d left his young daughter sitting alone on a curb for over an hour suggested a certain set of priorities that troubled Claire.

But she kept her expression neutral. “I’m sure your daddy is looking for you and will be here very soon.” “But how about this?” “Why don’t you come sit on that bench right there?” She pointed to a bench directly in front of the Bistro’s windows “where I can keep an eye on you.” “That way if your daddy comes back to this spot, he’ll still be able to see you but you won’t be sitting on the curb and I’ll stay with you until he gets here.

Does that sound okay?” Lily nodded eagerly and Claire helped her move to the bench. Claire sat down beside her and Lily continued eating the sandwich with obvious enjoyment. “This is really good.” Lily said. “We don’t usually eat sandwiches.” “Daddy likes fancy restaurants.” “But I like sandwiches better. They’re easier.” “I like sandwiches, too.

” Claire said with a smile. “Sometimes simple is best.” They sat together for several minutes Claire pointing out interesting things on the street, a dog being walked a bicycle with a basket of flowers, a street musician setting up on the corner. Lily finished the sandwich and carefully folded the paper it had been wrapped in placing it neatly on her lap.

“You’re very tidy.” Claire observed. “Daddy says we should always be neat and respectful.” Lily said. “He says it’s important to have good manners.” “Especially because people are always watching us.” Claire found this comment a bit odd but didn’t pursue it. Instead she said “Your daddy sounds like he teaches you good things.

” “He tries.” Lily said and there was something surprisingly mature in her tone.