Goodness always comes back around
Emma, at least give the kids a cuppa! Maya clutched her little sister tighter. Weve been on the road since five in the morning.
The cousin stood in the doorway of her flat, blocking the passage, her face a mask of polite indifference.
Maya, Ive got guests arriving soon. Youre off to the station in an hour, right?
In two. The train leaves at nine.
Right, but I have people coming over at seven. Sorry, I didnt plan for this.
Emmas eldest, sixyearold Katie, tugged at her mothers sleeve.
Mum, can I have a minute?
Maya, could we at least use the loo?
Reluctantly, Maya stepped aside. Emma and the children squeezed into the hallway. The flat was posh modern décor, leather sofas, a huge flatscreen TV mounted on the wall.
Just quick, okay? Maya glanced nervously at her watch.
While Katie was in the bathroom, threeyearold Hannah piped up.
Mum, Im hungry.
Hold on, love. Well buy something at the station.
Maya turned away, pretending not to hear. From the kitchen drifted the smell of fried chicken.
And why didnt you bring Kevin? Maya asked, trying to fill the awkward pause.
Hes working. He couldnt swap his shift.
Right, youre all stuck in the village then?
Not exactly. They havent given us a flat yet.
Maya grimaced as if Emma had said something obscene.
Katie emerged from the bathroom. Emma gathered the bags.
Well, were off. Thanks for letting us in.
No problem. Have a safe journey.
The door clicked shut behind them. Outside, a drizzly rain fell. The bus to the station was a fortyminute ride, and the children arrived at the stop soaked.
Mum, why didnt Aunt Mary feed us? Katie asked.
Shes busy, dear. She has guests.
And were not guests?
Emma didnt know what to say. Once she and Maya had been as close as sisters, sharing secrets and growing up together. Then Mary married a businessman, moved to London, and drifted apart.
The station was chilly. Emma found a vacant bench in the waiting hall and sat the children down.
Stay here. Ill go check on the train.
A line snaked to the ticket office. Emma slipped to the back, rummaged through her documents. Annie, her younger, began to sob, exhausted and hungry. Katie tried to soothe her but was on the brink of tears herself.
Excuse me, are you from around here? a woman in her forties asked, standing nearby. She was plump, with a kind face.
No, Im from the Midlands. Were heading home.
Do you have children?
Theyre over there, on the bench.
The woman looked over, frowned, and said, Good heavens, theyre drenched and crying! Whats happened?
Emmas tears fell without her meaning to.
We stopped at my sisters house thought shed at least give us a bite. Weve been travelling since five in the morning without a proper meal.
The woman, whose name tag read Natalie, grabbed Emmas arm firmly.
Come on, lets get you sorted. Do you have your tickets?
Yes, thank you, Emma managed.
Well sort the tickets, and you can feed the kids first, Natalie said. I work at the railway clinic, so I can spare a few minutes.
She led them to a modest staff room small but warm, with a kettle, a microwave, and a fridge.
Take a seat. Well get everything ready.
Natalie opened the fridge and pulled out containers.
Heres some soup yesterdays, but still tasty and meatballs with barley, plus some bread. Eat up, dont be shy.
The children dove in. Emma fought back tears of gratitude.
Thank you. I dont know how to repay you
Its nothing, Natalie smiled. Ive been there with a baby on a long journey. Your sister what happened to her? Did she really not feed you?
Emma waved her hand helplessly. She had guests. We just got in the way.
Good guests, Natalie chuckled. May God judge her kindly. Eat while I sort the tickets.
Fifteen minutes later she returned with the tickets and a seat reservation: lower berths in the middle carriage. The train was on time, with an hours boarding window.
How many tickets do I need? Emma asked.
None. Its my treat for a tired mum.
Natalie, I cant
Please do. And lets exchange numbers. If you ever find yourself in London, give me a call. You now have a real sister.
From that day they called each other regularly. Natalie became the sister Emma had lost when Mary drifted away. They shared news, asked for advice, and supported one another.
A year later, Natalie confessed, Emma, Im seriously ill. Its stage three of a terminal condition.
Emmas world tilted. She urged Natalie to come to London, but Natalie refused.
No, you have a family, children. Ill manage.
Natalies voice grew weaker with each conversation. Then she revealed a secret:
I have a girl, Sophie. Shes ten. Shes not my biological daughter shes my niece. My sister died giving birth, and I took her in, but I never formally adopted her.
God, Natalie
If anything happens to me, Natalie said, there will be no relatives left. Sophie will be taken to a childrens home.
Dont say that! Youll get better!
Both knew miracles were unlikely.
Natalie passed away in February. Emma attended the funeral. Sophie, a thin girl with huge eyes, stood alone by the coffin while social workers prepared paperwork for the childrens home.
Come with us, Emma said, hugging the girl. Youll live with us.
Can I? Sophies eyes flickered with hope.
Of course. Youre my sisters daughter, which makes you my niece.
Sophies stepmother, a sharptongued woman, met them at the door.
Are you mad? We can barely manage our two, and now you bring another?
Shes not a stranger, Mum, intervened Emmas husband, Kevin. Emma did the right thing.
Two rooms for five people? Have you thought this through?
Emma stood firm. Sophie stays. End of story.
The first months were a furnace of cramped space, money worries, and clashing tempers. Katie and Annie were jealous at first, then adjusted. Sophie tried to be invisible, helped around the house, and cared for the younger ones.
Then a miracle. Kevins old friend, a lorry driver named Simon, offered, I have an empty house on the outskirts. My mothers passed, I dont live there. Move in while you wait for a council flat. Ill let you stay rentfree.
The house was old but solid, with four rooms, a modest garden, and a plot of landa far cry from the tightknit motherinlaws home.
Dad, look! We finally have our own garden! Katie shouted, racing around the plot.
And we can put up a swing! Annie added.
Sophie watched from the side, hardly believing her luck.
Come on, Emma called her. Pick a room. Youre the oldest now.
Really?
Absolutely. Youre our eldest daughter now.
Sophie rushed into Emmas arms, tears streaming.
Aunt Natalie always said you were the kindest person in the world. She was right.
Life buzzed in that house. Kevin repaired the roof after work, painted the fence, Emma tended the garden, and the girls helped cheerfully.
A neighbour asked, All those girls yours?
Our girls, Kevin answered proudly.
A year later, they received good newsa threebedroom flat in a new development.
Are we moving? Sophie asked, her voice trembling.
Together, Emma hugged her. Were family.
The new flat had enough room for everyone. Sophie got her own room, Katie and Annie each had separate spaces, and Kevin and Emma shared a cosy master bedroom.
They still gathered often in Sophies room, where she told bedtime stories and helped with homework.
Mom, can we just call Sophie sister and not halfsister? Katie asked one day.
Shes already our sister, Emma replied. Big sister.
Exactly!
At Sophies graduation, the whole family turned up. She earned a gold medal and a scholarship to study medicine on a bursary.
Ill be a doctor like Aunt Natalie, she declared. Ill help people.
After the ceremony, Sophie approached Emma.
Can I say something?
Go ahead, love.
Thank youfor giving me a family, a real home. You and Dad have shown me what true family means.
Emma smiled, remembering Natalies words.
It was Aunt Natalie who brought us together. She knew we needed each other.
That evening, as the family celebrated, Emma pulled out an old photograph of herself and Natalie at the stationthe day they first met.
Girls, I want to tell you something about kindness, she began. How a simple act of feeding strangers can change many lives.
She recounted the rainy day at the station, the unwelcoming Mary, the hungry children, and the woman who refused to walk past their plight.
If Aunt Natalie hadnt helped us, we wouldnt be this big, loving family. We wouldnt have Sophie. Rememberone kind deed can ripple through many lives.
Mom, do you still talk to Aunt Mary? Annie asked.
No. She doesnt even know you have a sister. Blood isnt everything. Family is those who stand by you when things are hard, who dont walk away, who feed the hungry and warm the cold.
Sophie hugged Emma tightly.
Just like Aunt Natalie, she whispered.
Outside, rain fell again, the same steady drizzle as that first day at the station. Inside, the house glowed with the warmth of a true family that began with a simple act of generosity.
Emma knew Natalie was watching from above, smiling. Her kindness lived on in the love and support that now filled the home.
Goodness always returnsoften in the most unexpected ways.
