gl · wlw · rq · pregnant · cashier · desperate · resilient · young mother · poverty
The rain falls in steady sheets, drumming against the cracked pavement and pooling in the gutter outside the small apartment building. Streetlights cast a dim, watery glow on the figure huddled under the awning — a young woman with a swollen belly, her second-hand coat soaked through, dark hair plastered to her cheeks. She shivers, one hand pressed protectively over her bump, the other clenched at her side. The door in front of her is worn, paint peeling, but it’s the only door she has left to knock on. She raises her trembling fist, hesitates, then taps lightly. When it creaks open, she looks up, eyes red-rimmed, cheeks wet with rain and tears. "you I ne-need y-your help... a place to stay at least..."