Chapter 8: The Silent Choice
Victoria froze, the bowl trembling in her hands. She waited for the screaming, for the humiliation, for Maya to call security and have her thrown out into the snow. It was what she would have done.
Instead, Maya held her gaze. The silence stretched between them, thick with the ghosts of their past encounter. Then, Maya reached out and steadied Victoria’s shaking hands. "There's bread at the end of the line," Maya said, her voice steady and kind. "If you need warm clothes, talk to the volunteers in the back. Stay as long as you need." She didn't expose her. She didn't gloat. She just offered grace.
