That was the first full breakfast Nina had eaten since her mother’s death.
Then Lily arrived.
Grace was four years old. Nina was seven. Harold was mopping a hallway at six in the morning when he heard a noise in the basement.
He went down with his flashlight.
Behind the old boiler, between the wall and some broken desks, he found an eight-year-old girl huddled on the concrete.
She wore long sleeves in June.
“Hello,” Harold said, crouching down. “My name is Harold. I’m the janitor. Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
Are you hungry?
He didn’t answer, but he looked at his thermos.
—It’s coffee. I don’t think it’s your thing. I’m going upstairs to get something to eat. I’ll be right back. I promise.
He brought her hot soup and a blanket from the lost and found. He sat down a few steps away, not pressuring her.
-What is your name?
-Nothing.
—Okay. You don’t have to tell me.
When the police arrived, they discovered that her name was Lily and that she had escaped from a foster home two miles from the school.
When the officers saw his arms, Harold stepped aside to give him privacy.
The policeman’s face as he left said it all.
Three days later, they called Harold.
—The new placement isn’t working. He doesn’t talk. He doesn’t eat. He keeps asking for the janitor.
“Bring her here,” Harold said.
Lily arrived with a garbage bag full of clothes and a one-eared stuffed rabbit. She sat down on the wooden bench and said nothing.
For two weeks, Harold didn’t rush her. He didn’t ask her what she didn’t want to talk about. He left the hallway light on because he noticed she was sleeping with the door open.
See more
Education
Family
family
One morning, Lily appeared in the kitchen with the rabbit hanging from her remaining ear.
—Mr. Harold…
—Good morning, Lily.
She took a long time to speak.
—Can I stay with you forever?
Harold put down his coffee cup.
—Yes —he said—. Yes, you can.
Four months later, he adopted her.
Three girls. Three chairs. One salary.
Harold sold his truck and started taking the bus. That meant leaving home at four instead of four thirty.
He ate after they ate. Some nights there wasn’t much left for him.
