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It took a lot to pause foot traffic on a New York City sidewalk It took even ed to do both Because the sound that caht from the pits of hell She meant business

Finally, she e

She smiled, the picture of innocence once more “Thank you, father”

He sighed “Be quick about it”

When she started walking in my direction, my heart wormed its way up into s at once Shaar I felt hu defended by this tiny child edon my face for the first time in my life But above all, I felt love

I loved her, even then

She gave me a conspiratorial look, as if on a shared victory, and placed the orange inAs I unpeeled the orange hungrily, she twisted one end of her braided chestnut pigtails in her hands

“You don’t have to sleep here, do you?”

I cleared the emotion from my throat “No”

“Oh, good” Her shoulders relaxed, but her lower lip trehtly “If I hadas you wanted”

I sed hard “I think you would”

“I’d have lots of puppies to play with, too My dad is allergic, so we can’t have any but I want one so bad,” she whispered, eyes beginning to sparkle “Do you like puppies?”

I’d never owned or even pet one, but I orried abouther even ain “Sure, I like them Who doesn’t?”

My answer ot about the orange in my hand “What is your name?”

Whatever you want it to be “Damian”

“I’m Arya”

Her father called her name impatiently

Arya glanced back over her shoulder and wrung her hands, looking like she actually wanted to stay To talk to the beggar, instead of going somewhere fancy in her pretty blue dress A few seconds later, I stopped breathing when she leaned down and kissed my cheek “You must be very brave,” she whispered, just beside my ear “And the brave people inis going to be all right for you”

Unable to speak, I just nodded, watching her father sweep her away

It was the first ti the orange in my hand, I felt…renewed With her whispered words in my ear, I could take on the entire city, rip