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Christmas, 23rd December

I look at the clock as it strikes 10 and walk to the door and flip the sign to 'Close'. I gather my things and stroll around my small book café for a bit before switching off the lights. Walking outside the weather is just too cold for me to handle, rubbing my hands together then quickly lock the café and go back to my small crib which is just about 15 minutes away.

As I'm about to cross the street, I hear a dog bark and a small scream from the small alley next to my café. Slowly I peek inside the dark alley and can barely see the dog at the end of the alley. I walk towards it cautiously and pull out my umbrella from my bag for protection.

As I walk closer I see someone cowering in front of the dog and as my eyes get accustomed to the dark, I get a glimpse of a woman, then hit the nearby bin hard making a loud thump, that makes the dog and the woman jump in surprise.

The stray dog barks at me and I run towards it with my umbrella high up as if I am about to hit it. The dog runs away when I am almost near it as I make a loud growl for it to go away. Turning to the woman, I see that she's shivering. I slowly sit in front of the woman that's still cowering in fear.

"Hey, it's okay. The dog's gone. Are you okay?"

I look at the woman and she slowly looks up and sighs in relief. I stand up and so does she, only then I see her big belly and know why she covered herself like that- to protect her baby.

"Thank you, I'm so thankful."

"No worries, I couldn't just turn a blind eye for that. Luckily, I heard a bark, otherwise I don't think I would have been here."

She smiles softly and I see her shivering to the cold since her clothes are not exactly for winter purposes. I remove my jacket and put it on her back, although she refuses it.

"It's for your baby." I smile and she thanks me repeatedly.

As we're both walking out of the alley, I see she's holding a bag in her hand, and wonder if she even has a place to, since tomorrow is Christmas, but she doesn't seem like she has a place to be back to.

She looks to the right and left a lot, and I know that look because I have been there, I was in the same situation with her, homeless. Luckily, an old couple helped me and took me in as their daughter, I can never repay for what they did for me. I didn't hear what she said, but as she smiles and is about to go away, I grasp her hand and she turns to look at me.

"Do you have a place to be? Be honest."

She looks warily at me, but then she sighs and shakes her head slowly.

"I know I might sound like a busybody, but I know and I have been there. Would you like to stay with me for the time being? I'm all alone anyway, and there's an extra bedroom that you could use."

She contemplates and after a few seconds she nods and I smile.

"We're going this way."

I point to the other side of the street and she nods. We walk back silently and when we arrive, opening the door for her to get in. My crib is not that big, but it's warm and comfy for me. After my foster parents died a few years ago, I've been living here all alone.

"And this is the room, you can use it and treat it like it's yours."

She nods as she walks inside the cream colored bedroom. There's a queen sized bed and a drawer that is the same color of the bed.

"I'll be making dinner, and when you're done washing up, come and have dinner."

I say closing the door for her to be comfy and relax. I don't have many friends and I'm definitely not the socialized type of person, spending most of my time in the book café and when I go out, I just go survey for new books.

I walk to the kitchen and prepare the ingredients to cook a simple dinner for both of us. After I'm almost done she walks out with clean and warm clothes. She sits on the stool at the kitchen island while I serve the food on a plate and pass one of them to her, sitting right in front of her.

"By the way, I'm Mia, Mia Evelyn.. I know I should've introduced myself before I offered you to stay with me but I guess it slipped my mind"

"No, it's okay. I know your intentions are good, you've been kind to me since the beginning. I'm Willow Kaylee, you can call me any of those names."

"Urmm, how long have you.." I can't find a word to describe, but I point to her belly and she just smiles.

"Five months, only four left." She puts a hand on her belly as she smiles, I can see her love for her baby.

"Have you had a check up?"

Willow shakes her head, "I..it's.. I have had a check up a few months ago but, ..I"

"I can take you to get checked up.."

"No.. no, I've been a nuisance and I can't .."

"No, I want to, I believe there must've been a reason I found you. Don't worry, I won't ask for anything in return, I just want to help you and the baby, that's all."

I can see Willow's tears roll down her cheek and she holds my hand , "I can't thank you enough for this Mia, but it's really a blessing for me that i met you. Thank you so much."

I smile softly and nod as I continue to eat the dinner, "No worries, I sincerely want to help you and the baby. Do you know the gender already?"

"No, I don't know yet, but what I do know is that it's actually babies not baby."

"Babies?" I look at Willow confusedly, but a few seconds later I gasp and make a hand signal showing two fingers and Willow nods.

"Wow, that's great Willow! Congratulations!" Both of us smile at each other.

I didn't know that this encounter was a gift for me from God and my future was bright with them coming into my life because they are My Lucky Stars.

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