“I can try,” Luke said. “It’s a good starting place.”
“But they might split us up first.” Eli crossed his arms, the hope in his gaze quickly dying.
“I know where you can stay,” Amayah announced.
At once, it hit Luke what she was about to say. “Amayah, wait?—”
“With me,” she finished, determination in her voice. “You can all stay with me.”
The kids froze.
“Amayah . . .” Luke stepped closer. “Are you sure? This is . . . big. It’s a lot to take on.”
“I know.” She looked at the six faces staring up at her, hope blooming where fear had sat moments before. “And I finally know why God told me to buy that house.”
Luke had no argument left in him. Not against that. Not against the unwavering compassion in her voice.
Eli swallowed hard. “Do you . . . do you mean it? Really?”
Amayah’s answer came with a soft breath, her eyes warm with something steadier than simple reassurance. “I do, Eli. I absolutely do.”
But instead of instant cheers, the moment fractured in quieter, messier ways.
Clara let out a small, choked sob—half relief, half disbelief. Benji threw his arms around his brother, but Eli didn’t move at first. His fingers tightened at his sides, his jaw trembling like he was afraid to trust what he’d just heard.
Maisie ran toward Amayah, but even she hesitated at the last second, looking back as if expecting someone to stop her. When no one did, she finally let Amayah scoop her up, clinging tight, curls brushing Amayah’s cheek.
Eli’s voice shook as he finally whispered, “It might not be that easy. Mom always says people change their minds.”
Amayah rubbed her throat as if it ached. “You’re right. Sometimes adults make promises they shouldn’t. But I’m not making this lightly. It might be complicated, and it won’t all happen today, but I’m here. I’m staying. And we’re going to figure this out together. All of us. One step at a time.”
Eli blinked rapidly, eyes glistening. He gave the smallest nod. Not trust—not yet. But the beginning of it.
Luke exhaled with relief. “Okay then. Let’s make some calls.”
He stepped aside to begin dialing city contacts—his voice low but firm.
As he did, he watched as Amayah gathered the kids close. Not all of them leaned in at once. Clara hovered on the edge before inching nearer, and Eli stood stiffly beside her, as if waiting for the moment the offer was taken back.
But Amayah stayed steady, her arms open, her presence calm, letting them come to her at their own pace.
And for the first time since stepping into the crumbling church, Luke felt something settle inside him.
Hope.
Not the pretty kind—the real kind. The hard-won kind. The kind you choose even before you fully believe in it.
Blue and red lights washed across the church’s brick facade, flashing against the winter-dark sky like a heartbeat finally slowing. Paramedics moved methodically, checking the Crump kids one by one—blood pressure cuffs, flashlights to the eyes, warm blankets from the ambulance.
Police officers scribbled notes onto damp notepads, breath clouding in the air as they took final statements.
Luke had done his part.
So had Amayah.
They’d both answered questions, retold the same details, offered the same reassurances.
Now the commotion had quieted, leaving the church steps strangely calm. Snow drifted lazily in the air, softening the edges of everything.
