Alexander burst in ten minutes later, drenched from checking the generator.
“What happened?” he gasped.
She told him everything—what she’d done, step by step. Mr. Hayes was conscious again, breathing better, color returning to his cheeks.
“You saved him,” Alexander said, stunned.
Lila shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “He saved me first. He reminded me I was still useful. Still needed.”
Alexander took her hand gently. “And you reminded us all what love looks like.”
Mr. Hayes recovered slowly, but fully. He insisted Lila stay as part of the family—even after Alexander offered her a generous severance and an apartment of her own.
“No,” the old man said. “She’s not going anywhere. She’s the daughter I never had.”
