“Sir, We Haven’t Eaten Since Yesterday…”A Little Girl Said—The CEO Took Her Mom and Said, “Come in.”
From a House to a Home
Chloe’s eyes widened. “Really? You’d let us in?”
“I would, but we need to hurry because your mommy needs help right away.” “Can you walk or should I carry you?”
“I can walk but mommy can’t.”
Matthew pulled out his phone and called 911, requesting an ambulance. Then he carefully lifted Sarah into his arms.
She was frighteningly light and her skin felt like ice. Chloe walked beside him, still clutching her teddy bear.
As he carried them through his gates, the warmth of the house hit them immediately. Matthew entered his home.
His housekeeper, Mrs. Chen, looked up from the kitchen in shock. He was carrying an unconscious woman with a small child trailing behind.
“Mrs. Chen, please get blankets and warm water.” “Not hot, warm, and call Dr. Morrison.”
“Tell him I have a medical emergency and need him here immediately.”
Mrs. Chen immediately went into action. She had worked for Matthew for 3 years and had learned not to question his decisions.
Matthew laid Sarah on the sofa in his living room, tucking blankets around her. Chloe stood nearby looking terrified.
“Is mommy going to die?” she asked in a small voice.
“No sweetheart. We’re going to take care of her.”
“She’s very sick but help is coming.” “When’s the last time you ate?”
“Yesterday morning. We had cereal but then the milk ran out and we didn’t have money for more.”
Matthew felt something crack in his chest. This child had gone more than 24 hours without food.
She was worried about her mother instead of herself. “Mrs. Chen, can you please make some soup for Chloe?”
“Something warm and gentle on her stomach.” “Of course Mr. Harrison.”
The ambulance arrived within 15 minutes. The paramedics immediately began working on Sarah.
Matthew explained the situation and how long she had been outside. They determined she had pneumonia and severe hypothermia.
She needed to be hospitalized immediately. “What about the little girl?” one of the paramedics asked.
Matthew looked at Chloe, who was finally eating soup but watching her mother with frightened eyes. “She’ll stay with me. She’s safe here”.
At the hospital, Matthew sat in the waiting room with Chloe while Sarah was admitted. The little girl had fallen asleep against his side.
Her teddy bear was still clutched in her arms. When a social worker approached, Matthew found himself being protective in a way that surprised him.
“I’m keeping the child with me tonight,” he said firmly. “Her mother needs to recover and Chloe needs stability.”
“She’s been through enough trauma.” The social worker looked skeptical.
“Sir, we have protocols.” “The child should be placed with family or in temporary foster care while her mother is hospitalized.”
“Is there family?” “We’re trying to locate relatives but it doesn’t appear there are any in the area”.
“Then she stays with me. I’ll be responsible for her.”
“You can do whatever background checks you need to do.” “I’m Matthew Harrison, CEO of Harrison Development.”
“I own the house where they’ll be staying. I’m not some stranger off the street”.
Something in his tone must have convinced her. The social worker agreed to allow it temporarily pending checks and a meeting with Sarah.
Matthew carried the sleeping Chloe to his car and drove home through the falling snow. Mrs. Chen had prepared one of the guest rooms.
Matthew tucked Chloe into bed, making sure she was warm and safe. He finally allowed himself to think about what he had done.
He had just taken in a homeless woman and her child. He had committed to caring for people he didn’t know.
It was impulsive and possibly foolish. This was completely unlike his usual careful, calculated approach to life.
But when he thought about the little girl, he knew he couldn’t have done anything else. He remembered her saying they hadn’t eaten since yesterday.
The next morning, Matthew woke to find Chloe standing in his bedroom doorway looking uncertain. “Sir, is my mommy okay?”
Matthew sat up, running a hand through his hair. “Let me call the hospital and find out. Are you hungry?”
“Yes sir.” “You don’t have to call me sir.”
“You can call me Matthew or Mr. Harrison if that feels more comfortable.” “Come on, let’s get you some breakfast”.
In the kitchen, Mrs. Chen was already making pancakes. Chloe’s eyes lit up at the sight.
“We used to have pancakes on special days before daddy left and mommy got sick and we lost our apartment”.
Matthew felt that crack in his chest widen. “Tell me about your mommy, Chloe. What does she do?”
“She’s a nurse. Or she was.”
“She worked at a hospital helping sick people. But then she got sick herself and couldn’t work anymore”.
“And we didn’t have money for rent or food or medicine.” “Mommy tried really hard but things just kept getting worse”.
Sarah Parker was a health care worker who had fallen through the cracks of the system. Matthew felt anger building at the system.
