The woman then explained that Jake helped her some two months ago when she was at a very bad place.
“Helped you? How?” Jake was curious to understand.
“I was lying by the road, weak and desperate. Everyone passed by, but you stopped. You took me to a charity hospital. I was severely dehydrated and could have died. When I woke up, you were gone, but I convinced the parking guard to tell me your car number. I found out where you lived and decided to thank you.”
Jake suddenly realized. “I remember now. You were in terrible shape. I couldn’t just leave you there.”
The woman, who introduced herself as Clare, said, “Your kindness saved me. My ex-husband tricked me, brought me from Britain to America, took everything, and left me on the street. I had nothing and no one to turn to.”
Emma and Lily listened intently, their small faces filled with concern. “That’s so sad,” Emma murmured softly.
“But why are you here?” Jake couldn’t help but wonder.
“Your help gave me the strength to keep going. I went to the embassy and told them my story. They helped me get new documents and connected me with a lawyer to fight for my son. I got a job as a postal worker. But I wanted to repay you, to show my gratitude. I saw how tired you looked when you came home every day, so I decided to help you with small things.”
Touched by her story, Jake said, “Claire, I appreciate what you’ve done, but you can’t just break into our home. It’s not safe, and it scared me.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just wanted to help,” Claire answered, looking ashamed.
In order to cheer her up, the girls thanked her for the pancakes and noted they were really tasty.
Taking a deep breath and feeling relieved for learning who make the pancakes, Jake said, “Claire, let’s do this differently. No more sneaking in, okay? How about you join us for breakfast now and then? We can get to know each other better.”
