Chapter 13 — One Good Night’s Sleep
Ms. Alvarez recovered fully, and two weeks later, the neighborhood held a potluck to celebrate the small miracle born from a child’s courage. The landlords sealed the access panels. The vents got new covers. Utility doors received new locks.
That night, Mia tucked her bear under one arm and slid the other beneath her pillow, testing the quiet. No whispers. Only the hum of a safer house—and the soft voices of grown-ups who had learned to listen.
