Chapter 46

Author's POV

The Christmas season was fast approaching, and fashion trends exploded like wildfire, sparkling with festive energy. It almost seemed like people believed December was the only time they were allowed to wear new clothes. Shops were already lined with reds, greens, and glittering silvers, each design louder than the last.

On one of those visits, Vera offered Mrs. Briggs a marketing suggestion: that a short seasonal greeting could be weaved into the T-shirts, especially for the holidays. “It catches the eye,” she explained. “People like clothes that say something.”

Later that day, while returning home, Vera’s attention was caught by a modest boutique displaying its festive collection. Her gaze was drawn not to the clothes but to a little boy standing just outside the entrance. His eyes were locked on the children's section, though no one paid him any mind. He was dressed in rags and barefoot, clearly from a different world than the well-