Chapter 295

David looked her straight in the eye. “Aunt Ruby, I want to give you one more option.” In that moment, Ruby Henderson figured it all out. It was that soft part of the boy’s heart—hidden, yet real. Her emotions were a tangled mess—guilt, comfort, maybe a little pride, and something warmer she couldn’t name. All those feelings crashed into one as she pulled him into a hug. She rarely hugged David these days. He was nearly grown now, a teenager, almost a man. As he leaned into her embrace, the gentle warmth from a woman wrapped around him—just like the love of a mother he hadn’t felt in so long. His face buried into her chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but choked up almost instantly. “Aunt Ruby…” It took a long pause before he finally muttered, “Please, just let me go. Let me study hard, learn real skills. When I come back, I’ll take care of our family. I’ll look after my sisters, and make sure they never have to struggle or suffer.” At least, not like Aunt Ruby had to. David had been