“Why are you sitting out here in the cold?” asked Mrs. Gladys, wincing from the chill.
The young woman looked up at her sadly. She appeared to be about forty-five, no older. She looked beautiful and well-kept, yet a bit somber.
“Sorry, I’ll leave if I’m in the way!” the girl replied.
“I’m not trying to chase you off. Just wondering why you’re out here. It’s winter!” the woman asked, this time more gently.
It was a particularly cold day, with the wind howling. Not the weather for sitting on benches.
“I have nowhere to go!” the girl said, bursting into tears.
Her name was Sophie, and she truly had no place to turn. A few days ago, her father had thrown her out. She had come to this town, hoping to stay with her aunt.
Sophie’s mother had passed away three years ago. After she died, her father started drinking heavily. Their relationship deteriorated each day, and it became unbearable after three years.
Her father, Philip, often brought strange friends home. Sometimes they bothered Sophie, and even though she complained, her father never helped. She had to fend for herself. After one altercation, her father kicked her out.
“Get out! You’re not needed here! Useless freeloader!” he yelled as she left.
Sophie came to Aunt Mary’s, hoping she would take her in. But her aunt’s home had no space with her own three kids and her mother-in-law and sister-in-law with a child staying there as well. The tiny flat was bursting at the seams.
Left with no option, Aunt Mary had to send Sophie back to her father.
“Go back, get your dad to take you in. Apologize if needed. You have every right to live in his house. He’ll have to acknowledge it!” her aunt said, not offering even a cup of tea.
Sophie left, feeling hurt, but the thought of returning to her father was unbearable. Nothing good awaited her there.
As she wandered through the snowy streets, she grew tired and finally sat down on a bench when the stranger approached.
“What do you mean you’ve nowhere to go? You’re still so young! Do you have any parents?”
Sophie had turned eighteen already and was studying at college, now on break. In her haste to leave home, she hadn’t thought things through. It hit her how difficult things would now be only during her long walk.
“I don’t anymore,” she said quietly, burying her face in her knees.
She sat on the bench, curling up to keep warm. Her hands were turning blue from the cold. Her nose was running, and tiny snowflakes kept settling on her eyelashes.
Gladys felt sorry for the girl. She had a son around Sophie’s age. Leaving a child in distress, even someone else’s, didn’t sit right with her.
“Come with me. At least let me give you some tea, or your teeth will chatter to bits!” she offered.
Sophie agreed. Together they went up to the second floor, where Gladys lived. Her flat was spacious, but more importantly, it was warm. Sophie could finally feel comfortable again.
“Fancy some stew?” the hostess offered.
Sophie nodded gratefully. The last time she ate was the previous evening. When the hot stew was placed before her, she devoured it as if she hadn’t eaten in ages.
After the meal, she shared her story. Gladys shook her head, disapprovingly.
“That’s quite sad. Tell you what, stay with me. We’ve got plenty of room. My son is currently serving in the army. He’s not back for another two months. But we have three rooms. Stay until you figure out what’s next.”
“Where’s your husband?” the guest inquired.
“He passed five years ago. I still miss him. It gets lonely sometimes. It’s more fun together. So stay with us. I’d be glad for the company. And so would Max. Right, Max?” she said, addressing a ginger cat grooming himself by the table.
Sophie felt awkward, but she agreed. After all, she had no other options. She meant nothing to anyone. And so, they began living together.
Gladys quickly grew fond of the polite, well-mannered girl. Three years living with her alcoholic father hadn’t erased her mother’s teachings.
Sophie was tidy, unafraid of housework. She cleaned diligently, washed dishes, and eagerly learned to cook.
Unfortunately, Sophie had to leave college, but she planned to apply to another institution the following year.
Gladys helped her find a job for the meantime. A friend owned a nearby shop and took Sophie in, risking hiring someone with no experience, but later ran into Gladys and thanked her.
“You’ve given me a wonderful employee! She’s hardworking, modest, and smart.”
Sophie was deeply grateful to Gladys for taking her in. She expressed this often and tried to help as much as she could, not wanting to feel like a useless freeloader. They became friends.
Even Max the cat grew attached to his young companion, tailing her everywhere and snuggling with her at bedtime.
Two months later, Gladys’ son returned from the army. When he walked through the door in uniform, flowers for his mother in hand, Sophie saw him for the first time. She’d only seen photos of him as a child, displayed in the living room. The young man was very handsome.
After hugging his mother, Michael finally noticed the guest.
“Hi, who are you?” he asked, looking at the slender blonde in a house dress.
“Oh, dear, this is Sophie. There’s a long story there. For now, she’s staying with us. I hope you two get along! Be nice to her, she’s a lovely girl!”
“I didn’t plan on anything else! Thought you might have given me a new sister while I was away! If I’d known, I’d have brought more flowers!” he said, smiling at her. “Nice to meet you!”
Sophie couldn’t say anything in return. She just stood and stared, captivated. After a few moments, she composed herself and looked away.
Returning from the army, Michael had matured and toughened. Even his mother was surprised by how strong and sturdy he had become, while Sophie saw him as her ideal. They say military service turn boys into men.
After taking about a week to settle, Michael too began looking for work. He planned to attend university in the autumn but needed an income until then, as he didn’t want to rely on his mother.
And so they all lived together. They mostly met in the mornings and evenings, otherwise busy with work.
Michael and Sophie quickly developed a rapport. They were similar in age, shared many interests, and often chatted or watched movies together in the evenings. Unnoticed by them, they began to care for each other in ways not akin to a sibling bond.
Sophie couldn’t make the first move, fearing it might upset Mrs. Gladys. Michael hesitated too, unsure if his feelings were reciprocated. But Gladys noticed everything. She saw that something more than friendship was blossoming between them but chose not to intervene.
One evening, Gladys pondered over it all. She wondered if Sophie might make a good daughter-in-law, and decided that indeed she possessed many qualities she would like. With that realization, Gladys chose to gently nudge the youngsters together.
When summer came, she purchased two holiday tickets for the seaside, initially planning a trip with her son, but at the last moment claimed work commitments couldn’t allow her to go. Using this pretext, she sent Michael and Sophie on holiday together.
“Don’t try to hide! Someone might steal her away!” she slyly remarked to her son as he left.
Michael understood everything. His mother was right. They returned home as a couple, and within a month, announced their wish to marry.
Though some thought it a rash decision, Gladys didn’t object.
In the end, good daughters-in-law don’t grow on trees. True, you might find one sitting on a bench on a frosty day, but that’s rare. She was lucky, and so was her son.
Neighbors gossiped behind her back. Some acquaintances even told Gladys she’d foolishly let her son marry a penniless freeloader. Yet she knew she had made the right choice.
Even years later, Gladys never regretted the day she took in a freezing girl from the street, caring for her and offering her a home. Sophie became a kind, devoted wife to her only son, loved him deeply, and blessed her with three wonderful grandchildren and countless warm memories.
