Still, it’s home. My daughters, Lily, Emma, and Sophie, make it feel that way, with their laughter and the little things they do that remind me why I push so hard.

Money was always on my mind. My job as a waitress barely covered our rent and bills. There was no cushion, no backup plan. If something went wrong, I didn’t know what we’d do.

The phone rang the next day while I was hanging out laundry to dry.

“Hello?” I answered, tucking the phone between my ear and shoulder.

“Nancy, it’s Peterson.”

His voice made my stomach tighten. “Oh, hi, Mr. Peterson. Is everything okay?”

“I need you out of the house for a week,” he said, as casually as if he were asking me to water his plants.

“What?” I froze, a pair of Sophie’s socks still in my hands.

“My brother’s coming to town, and he needs a place to stay. I told him he could use your house.”

I thought I must’ve misheard him. “Wait—this is my home. We have a lease!”

“Don’t start with that lease nonsense,” he snapped. “Remember when you were late on rent last month? I could’ve kicked you out then, but I didn’t. You owe me.”

I gripped the phone tighter. “I was late by one day,” I said, my voice shaking. “My daughter was sick. I explained that to you—”

“Doesn’t matter,” he interrupted. “You’ve got till Friday to get out. Be gone, or maybe you won’t come back at all.”

“Mr. Peterson, please,” I said, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Not my problem,” he said coldly, and then the line went dead.

I sat on the couch, staring at the phone in my hand. My heart pounded in my ears, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

“Mama, what’s wrong?” Lily, my oldest, asked from the doorway, her eyes filled with concern.

I forced a smile. “Nothing, sweetheart. Go play with your sisters.”

But it wasn’t nothing. I had no savings, no family nearby, and no way to fight back. If I stood up to Peterson, he’d find an excuse to evict us for good.

By Thursday night, I’d packed what little we could carry into a few bags. The girls were full of questions, but I didn’t know how to explain what was happening.

“We’re going on an adventure,” I told them, trying to sound cheerful.

“Is it far?” Sophie asked, clutching Mr. Floppy to her chest.

“Not too far,” I said, avoiding her gaze.

The hostel was worse than I expected. The room was tiny, barely big enough for the four of us, and the walls were so thin we could hear every cough, every creak, every loud voice from the other side.

“Mama, it’s noisy,” Emma said, pressing her hands over her ears.

“I know, sweetie,” I said softly, stroking her hair.

Lily tried to distract her sisters by playing I Spy, but it didn’t work for long. Sophie’s little face crumpled, and tears started streaming down her cheeks.

“Where’s Mr. Floppy?” she cried, her voice breaking.

My stomach sank. In the rush to leave, I’d forgotten her bunny.

“He’s still at home,” I said, my throat tightening.

“I can’t sleep without him!” Sophie sobbed, clutching my arm.

I wrapped her in my arms and held her close, whispering that it would be okay. But I knew it wasn’t okay.

That night, as Sophie cried herself to sleep, I stared at the cracked ceiling, feeling completely helpless.

By the fourth night, Sophie’s crying hadn’t stopped. Every sob felt like a knife to my heart.

“Please, Mama,” she whispered, her voice raw. “I want Mr. Floppy.”

I held her tightly, rocking her back and forth.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’ll get him,” I whispered, more to myself than to her.

I didn’t know how, but I had to try.

I parked down the street, my heart pounding as I stared at the house. What if they didn’t let me in? What if Mr. Peterson was there? But Sophie’s tear-streaked face wouldn’t leave my mind.

I took a deep breath and walked up to the door, Sophie’s desperate “please” echoing in my ears. My knuckles rapped against the wood, and I held my breath.

The door opened, and a man I’d never seen before stood there. He was tall, with a kind face and sharp green eyes.

“Can I help you?” he asked, looking puzzled.

“Hi,” I stammered. “I—I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m the tenant here. My daughter left her stuffed bunny inside, and I was hoping I could grab it.”

He blinked at me. “Wait. You live here?”

“Yes,” I said, feeling a lump form in my throat. “But Mr. Peterson told us we had to leave for a week because you were staying here.”

His brows furrowed. “What? My brother said the place was empty and ready for me to move in for a bit.”

I couldn’t stop the words from spilling out. “It’s not empty. This is my home. My kids and I are crammed into a hostel across town. My youngest can’t sleep because she doesn’t have her bunny.”

His face darkened, and for a second, I thought he was angry at me. Instead, he muttered, “That son of a…” He stopped himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice softer now. “I had no idea. Come in, and we’ll find the bunny.”

He stepped aside, and I hesitated before walking in. The familiar smell of home hit me, and my eyes burned with tears I refused to let fall. Jack—he introduced himself as Jack—helped me search Sophie’s room, which looked untouched.

“Here he is,” Jack said, pulling Mr. Floppy from under the bed.

I held the bunny close, imagining Sophie’s joy. “Thank you,” I said, my voice trembling.

“Tell me everything,” Jack said, sitting on the edge of Sophie’s bed. “What exactly did my brother say to you?”

I hesitated but told him everything: the call, the threats, the hostel. He listened quietly, his jaw tightening with every word.

When I finished, he stood and pulled out his phone. “This isn’t right,” he said.

“Wait—what are you doing?”

“Fixing this,” he said, dialing.

The conversation that followed was heated, though I could only hear his side.

“You kicked a single mom and her kids out of their home? For me?” Jack’s voice was sharp. “No, you’re not getting away with this. Fix it now, or I will.”

He hung up and turned to me. “Pack your things at the hostel. You’re coming back tonight.”

I blinked, not sure I’d heard him right. “What about you?”

“I’ll find somewhere else to stay,” he said firmly. “I can’t stay here after what my brother pulled. And he’ll cover your rent for the next six months.”

That evening, Jack helped us move back in. Sophie lit up when she saw Mr. Floppy, her little arms clutching the bunny like a treasure.

“Thank you,” I told Jack as we unpacked. “You didn’t have to do all this.”

“I couldn’t let you stay there another night,” he said simply.

Over the next few weeks, Jack kept showing up. He fixed the leaky faucet in the kitchen. One night, he brought over groceries.

“You didn’t have to do this,” I said, feeling overwhelmed.

“It’s nothing,” he said with a shrug. “I like helping.”

The girls adored him. Lily asked for his advice on her science project. Emma roped him into board games. Even Sophie warmed up to him, offering Mr. Floppy a “hug” for Jack to join their tea party.

I started to see more of the man behind the kind gestures. He was funny, patient, and genuinely cared about my kids. Eventually, our dinners together blossomed into a romance.

One evening several months later, as we sat on the porch after the girls had gone to bed, Jack spoke quietly.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said, looking out into the yard.

“About what?”

“I don’t want you and the girls to ever feel like this again. No one should be scared of losing their home overnight.”

His words hung in the air.

“I want to help you find something permanent,” he continued. “Will you marry me?”

I was stunned. “Jack… I don’t know what to say. Yes!”

A month later, we moved into a beautiful little house Jack found for us. Lily had her own room. Emma painted hers pink. Sophie ran to hers, holding Mr. Floppy like a shield.

As I tucked Sophie in that night, she whispered, “Mama, I love our new home.”

“So do I, baby,” I said, kissing her forehead.

Jack stayed for dinner that night, helping me set the table. As the girls chattered, I looked at him and knew: he wasn’t just our hero. He was family.

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This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.