CHAPTER 13: BREAKING THE CYCLE
Mark didn't just write a check or hand Leo over to the municipal child welfare system. He hired the best family law attorney in the state to begin the legal process of full legal guardianship.
Investigations into Leo's past revealed that his mother had passed away in a state hospice without any living relatives. For nearly a year, this boy had been completely forgotten by society, sleeping behind dumpsters and surviving on recycled aluminum cans.
Mark brought Leo to the department store, buying him warm coats, sturdy boots, school supplies, and books. For the first few days, Leo walked around with wide, disbelieving eyes, terrified that this new life was a dream that would evaporate the moment he woke up.
"You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore, son," Mark told him as they shared dinner at a quiet restaurant. "Your only job now is to be a kid. To learn, to play, and to feel safe."
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Tears welled in the young boy’s eyes, but this time, he didn't wipe them away with a dirty sleeve. He nodded slowly, allowing himself to lean against Mark's shoulder as they walked out into the crisp evening air.
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