Stephanie remained seated on the cold bench for a long time.
The newspaper still rested in her hands, slightly wrinkled from how tightly she had been holding it.
Her eyes moved back to the name again.
Louis.
Her heart tightened.
Was it really him?
Or just another man with the same name?
She read the small article again, hoping to find something that would give her a clear answer. But the details were few, and the words felt distant, like a story that belonged to someone else's life.
Stephanie slowly folded the newspaper and placed it beside her.
Her stomach growled loudly.
Only then did she realize how hungry she was.
She hadn't eaten since yesterday morning.
The hunger made her head feel light, and the world around her seemed to spin slightly. People walked past her at the bus station, busy with their own lives, carrying bags and talking on their phones.
No one noticed the girl sitting quietly on the bench.
Stephanie opened her bag and checked inside.
A few clothes.
Her notebook.
The photograph.
And a small amount of money.
Not enough to survive for long.
She leaned back against the bench and closed her eyes for a moment.
What was she supposed to do now?
She had left home thinking she would find answers… maybe even find her father.
But now the only lead she had might belong to a man who was already dead.
A soft voice suddenly broke through her thoughts.
"Child… are you alright?"
Stephanie opened her eyes quickly.
Standing in front of her was an older woman holding a small food basket. Her face looked kind, though lines of age rested around her eyes.
Stephanie hesitated.
"I'm fine," she said quietly.
The woman studied her for a moment.
"You don't look fine," she replied gently.
Stephanie looked away.
"I'm just waiting for someone."
The woman didn't argue.
Instead, she sat down beside her and opened the small basket she was holding.
She pulled out a wrapped piece of bread and a bottle of water.
"Here," she said, handing it to Stephanie.
Stephanie blinked in surprise.
"I… I can't take that."
"Yes, you can," the woman said with a soft smile. "You look like you haven't eaten all day."
Stephanie's stomach betrayed her again with another loud growl.
The woman chuckled quietly.
"See?"
For a moment, Stephanie didn't move.
She wasn't used to kindness from strangers.
Slowly, she reached out and took the bread.
"Thank you," she whispered.
The woman nodded.
"Sometimes the road gets hard," she said calmly. "But it doesn't mean you have to walk it hungry."
Stephanie held the food in her hands, feeling something warm spread quietly through her chest.
For the first time since leaving home…
someone had been kind to her.