The words hit Andrew like a punch.

A child.

Alone.

In the freezing snow.

He kept his voice calm.

“What’s your name?”

“Anna Morales.”

“Nice to meet you, Anna. I’m Andrew.”

He spoke slowly and carefully.

“Can you tell me what happened?”

Anna wiped her nose with her mitten.

“We live on Pine Street. The apartment with the green door,” she explained. “My mom always comes home after work. Always. But she didn’t last night.”

Her voice trembled.

“Our neighbor watched me this morning. She gave me breakfast. But she had to go to work too, so she told me to go to school.”

“You went to school?” Andrew asked.

Anna nodded.

“But I was scared,” she whispered. “What if something bad happened to my mom?”

Andrew felt his stomach twist.

“Did anyone call the police?”

Anna shook her head.

“They said maybe my mom worked late and forgot to call. But she never forgets. Even when she’s busy, she always calls me.”

The certainty in her voice was absolute.

Andrew pulled out his phone.

“Anna,” he said gently, “I’m going to help you find her. But first we need to get you out of the cold.”

She nodded slowly.

“Where were you going?”

“I was trying to walk home,” she admitted softly. “But I think I got lost.”

Andrew looked around at the darkening streets and thick snow.

The thought of this child wandering the city alone searching for her missing mother made his chest tighten.

“How about this,” he said. “What if I walk with you? We’ll go to your apartment and check if your mom is there.”

Anna studied his face carefully.

Her mother had clearly taught her to be cautious with strangers.

Finally she nodded.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “You seem nice.”

Andrew smiled faintly.

“Your mom must be very smart.”

He texted his driver to cancel the pickup, then gently took Anna’s small hand in his gloved one.

“Show me the way.”

They walked through the snow together, Anna pointing out turns as her confidence slowly grew.

Along the way Andrew asked questions.

“What does your mom do?”

“She’s a nurse,” Anna said proudly. “She works at the hospital helping sick people.”

“That’s an important job.”

“She’s the best mom ever.”

Andrew believed it immediately.

“And your dad?”

Anna’s voice grew softer.

“He died when I was a baby. Mom says he was very brave. He was a firefighter.”

Andrew swallowed quietly.

Eight blocks later they reached Pine Street.

Anna stopped in front of a faded apartment building.

“This is it.”