When Alexis saw a little boy sitting alone and crying at the bus stop, she decided to approach him out of concern.
But she had no idea that the encounter would change her entire life. It was around seven in the evening when Alexis got off the bus.
It was getting dark, colder, and there was hardly anyone in close sight. The woman rubbed her hands together and tightened her scarf, which had become loose during the journey, before heading to a nearby cafe for a cup of hot Americano.
However, as she took a few steps forward, she heard sobbing behind her. Alexis immediately turned around and saw a boy crying at the bus stop. He was shabbily dressed and appeared frail. She looked around the bus stand for other people, but nobody was in sight. So she decided to approach him.
“Hey little kid, what are you doing here alone? Where are your parents?” she asked. Alexis saw the boy’s bright red eyes as he looked up. He appeared upset, and the puffy bags under his eyes suggested he’d cried a lot.
“My dad died when I was born,” he answered between sobs. “I only have my mom, and I’m looking for her. She’s supposed to come here. Do you know what bus she was taking or when she was going to arrive? Or if you have her contact number, I can call her for you.
“I see,” Alexis said. “Would you mind if I help you find her?” The boy’s eyes lit up. “Can you really do that?” “Yes, I can.
But first, you have to do something for me,” Alexis replied. “I’ll do anything. I just want my mother back,” the boy said. “Okay then, first and foremost, you have to wipe your tears and stop crying because your mom will be sad if she sees you like this,” Alexis said. “Then you’ll have to keep me company at the cafe.
I hope I’m not the only one who’d love some hot chocolate and a cheese sandwich.” The youngster quickly wiped away his tears and smiled. “Oh, I’d love that. But will you really help me if I do that?” “I would,” Alexis replied, a smile on her face.
“What’s her name, by the way?” “My name is Kevin,” the youngster said, smiling. “Kevin, you have a nice name. Would you like some cookies?” Alexis remarked as the two walked away to a nearby cafe.
While Kevin was eating, Alexis couldn’t keep her gaze away from him. “Oh, poor soul. He really hadn’t eaten in days. I wonder if he’s safe at his foster home,” she pondered. Suddenly, Kevin caught her staring at him.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?” “No, Kevin. I was just wondering if we should start looking for your mom tomorrow morning. You know it’s getting cold, and you’ll fall sick if you stay out.
But what if mom shows up, and we aren’t there to greet her?” Kevin inquired, intrigued. “Don’t worry, Kevin. I’ll notify the cops about your mother. They’ll track her down soon.
Could you give me your address so I can drop you off at your house?” No,” Kevin raised his head from his plate, his eyes wide with fear. “I’m not going there. They don’t feed me, and if I ask about my mother, they beat me. Please don’t make me go there.
“What? Why didn’t you tell me about it before?” Alexis’s eyes welled up at Kevin’s remark. The boy was indeed in trouble, as she’d suspected. So that evening, she took him home with her and decided to call the cops in the morning to report the incident.
While Kevin slept comfortably, Alexis sat by his bedside, wondering why life had been so cruel for the little boy. At one point, she felt like keeping him with her, but the next day, she decided to do the right thing, called the cops, and informed them of the whole situation. On the basis of Kevin’s statement, his guardians at the foster care were arrested. But unfortunately for Kevin, his mom was no longer alive. She was diagnosed with cancer but couldn’t afford treatment and died a few months later.
Kevin was too young to process the bad news, and when Alexis took him to the doctor to make sure he was okay after how he’d been treated by his foster parents, she discovered he wasn’t. The doctors warned that any kind of shock would be harmful to the boy. As a result, she decided not to tell him the truth about his mother. On the other hand, Alexis had a tragic past as well, having been abandoned when she discovered she couldn’t conceive. When she thought about the times she’d spent with Kevin, she realized there was a reason why they met.
So she decided to adopt him and started the paperwork as soon as possible. The document verification and other procedures took about two months to complete. Once Kevin moved in with her, he was always curious why she had adopted him and when his mother would return.
So every year, Alexis gave him a letter in his mother’s name, explaining that she was being treated in another country and had asked her to be his mother until she returned. She resolved to keep pretending like this until Kevin grew older and was able to process the truth.
