“Hey… are you okay?” The woman looked up, startled. For a second, it seemed she might dismiss the question. “I… I don’t know,” she finally admitted, her voice cracking. Then, after a pause, she added softly, “I’m Sienna. This is my daughter.” Up close, the exhaustion was unmistakable.
Not just tired—drained in a way that didn’t come from one bad day. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her hold on the child was tight, almost desperate. Between hesitations and careful words, she explained enough for Altha to grasp the situation. She had fled a bad situation.
Someone was supposed to meet her. Help her. But they never arrived. Now she had nowhere to go. No one to call.
