- 16 hours ago
Destiny continues to echo through their lives.
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Short filmTranscript
00:01i was born in a town so small it didn't even have a traffic light my father was a hardline
00:06patriarch who was obsessed with having a son to work the farm and girls just left when the doctor
00:11said it's a girl my mother didn't cry my father did not from joy from disappointment we were
00:19already dirt poor two daughters one collapsing farmhouse bill stacked higher than the corn
00:25silos and then there was me the third girl my father told everyone it was god's mistake he didn't
00:31even look at me he wrapped me in a thin blanket and started walking toward the edge of the woods
00:36probably planning to leave me at some abandoned trailhead but he ran straight into the local
00:40pastor hill pastor hill knew exactly what was happening he talked my father down arguing that
00:46a girl could at least do the chores and keep the house clean he even promised to help settle some
00:50back taxes the family owed that's the only reason my father didn't leave me for the coyotes that
00:55night two months later my mother was pregnant again they became obsessed pouring what little money we
01:01had into miracle cures to ensure the next one was a boy i survived on powdered milk and scraps fed
01:06to me
01:06by my seven-year-old sister sarah years later she joke she was so tough she could eat solid food
01:12at six
01:13months i wasn't being tough sarah i was starving finally the heir was born my mother acted like she
01:21birthed a king she'd strep through the local market wanting my brother to every woman who didn't have a
01:26son finally feeling like she had some status in her miserable life nobody had time for me most days i
01:32was literally tethered to the bedpost with a nylon rope so i wouldn't get in the way of my brother's
01:36royal playtime it's a miracle i didn't die when i turned five it was time for school but my parents
01:42refused to pay for my supplies or the bus fees they didn't see the point in educating a girl
01:47then i got hit with a brutal lung infection i was burning up coughing until i choked night after night
01:54eventually my brother started coughing too and that's when my parents actually started to care
01:59not about me but about him they took us to a local clinic the doctor told them plainly the girl
02:05has a
02:06severe infection she needs a real hospital or she's not gonna make it and you need to quarantine her
02:12or she'll kill your son on the walk back my mother clutched my brother and took off walking as fast
02:18as
02:18she could to get him home i was gasping for air my chest tight as a vice i kept screaming
02:24mom but she
02:25never even glanced back she was leaving me behind literally and figuratively the cold was bone deep
02:31my vision blurred my stomach was a knot of hunger and then the world just went black i collapsed in
02:37the tall grass by the roadside when i woke up i was under a thick warm quilt three boys were
02:43hovering
02:43over me whispering and looking at me like i was some kind of strange creature they'd found in the
02:47woods a kind sturdy woman mary miller walked in with a bowl of chicken noodle soup i inhaled it
02:54but once i finished she told me she had to take me home in a town this small everyone knows
03:00who
03:00everyone belongs to her sons followed us calling my name and trying to make me laugh halfway there
03:06it started to snow the oldest boy leo took off his oversized gloves and slid them onto my tiny
03:12frozen hands when we reached the porch i heard sarah's voice from inside where's maya she's been
03:18gone all night my mother's voice was cold and sharp i hope the cold got her at least she won't
03:22be
03:23here to make your brother sick anymore i let out a jagged painful cough when my mom opened the door
03:29and saw me the look on her face wasn't relief it was pure disappointment my father just growled from
03:34the couch god she's still alive mrs miller looked at them then at me she didn't say a word just
03:42turned
03:42and started walking away with her boys the snow was coming down in thick sheets now leo let me keep
03:48the
03:48gloves but the warmth was gone i felt like a ghost standing in my own yard my father barked at
03:53me to
03:53go out and slap the hogs when i didn't move fast enough he grabbed a heavy broom and lunged at
03:58me
03:58but then mrs miller's truck screeched to a halt she'd come back she jumped out and stood between us
04:05staring my father down with a look of pure steel she looked at my bruised face then at him and
04:11said
04:11you know what give me the girl i've got three boys and no daughter since you clearly don't want her
04:16i'll take her we did it by the book as much as you can in a place like this mrs
04:22miller made them sign
04:23a notarized relinquishment form right there in the pastor's office so with 50 bucks the deal was done
04:29and just like that i became mrs miller's daughter as i was leaving linda leaned against the porch
04:35spitting sunflower seeds she's a sickly little jinx she's your problem now don't come crawling
04:42back in a month trying to get a refund because we aren't taking her back mrs miller my new mom
04:50dressed me in her youngest son's oversized hand-me-downs and bought me a pair of thick wool
04:53socks and sturdy boots for the first time in my life i had a warm breakfast every single morning
04:59at night she'd tuck me into bed and hold me close she smelled like laundry soap and wood smoke when
05:05i tried to muffle my coughs so i wouldn't bother anyone she just gently rubbed my back until i
05:10could breathe again my three new brothers treated me like a fragile treasure always letting me have
05:15the last bit of dessert or the best seat by the fire it felt too good to be true i
05:20spent every day
05:21waiting for someone to wake me up from this dream then winter really hit and mr miller came home
05:26he'd been away working a grueling construction job across the state only coming back for the
05:31holidays he was a giant of a man worn down by hard labor and quiet as a grave when mom
05:36introduced me
05:37he just stared at me with a deep scowl i could tell instantly he didn't want me there that night
05:43i pretended to sleep while they argued in the next room we're living paycheck to paycheck mary
05:48i heard him growl we can barely feed the boys what were you thinking bringing another mouth to feed
05:55into this house she hardly eats anything it's not just about the food mary you take a kid in
06:02you're responsible for her for life we can't afford that kind of commitment i'm out of cash and she
06:09needs a doctor that cough is getting worse do you have anything left from your paycheck there was a
06:16long heavy silence followed by the sound of him sighing in defeat and the rustle of his work clothes
06:20hitting the floor before the sun was even up mom woke me people in this town can't afford insurance
06:26on a seasonal workers wage so a trip to the clinic was a massive financial blow you usually just prayed
06:31and hope you didn't die i gripped the doorframe refusing to budge i was terrified that if they spent
06:38too much money on me they'd realize i wasn't worth the cost and send me back to frank and linda
06:42we were at a standstill until dad walked over without saying a word he scooped me up tossed
06:48me over his shoulder like a sack of grain and walked out into the cold maybe someone up there
06:52was finally looking out for me halfway to town we ran into an old retired doctor visiting family
06:58he took one look at me listened to my chest and told my parents it wasn't terminal just severe
07:04malnutrition and exhaustion he said he gave us some medicine for free and didn't charge for the visit
07:09after three days of rest i could finally take a breath without feeling like my chest was exploding
07:14by late december the whole town was buzzing for the holidays there was a huge christmas market in
07:20the town square and when mom found out i'd never been she insisted on taking me and the boys dad
07:25stayed behind his foreman had asked him to fix his roof for free dad hated being used as free labor
07:30but the guy still owed him two months back pay he figured if he did the favor he might actually
07:36get
07:36his money wage theft was a way of life back then you could break your back for a year and
07:41end up
07:41with nothing but despite the struggle the market was packed with people trying to find a bit of
07:46holiday joy mom bought me a huge candy apple none of my brothers got one but they didn't even complain
07:51i was staring at the lights and the crowds trying to soak it all in that's when i saw him
07:57in a sea of
07:58happy faces there was this little boy two adults had him pinned between them clutching his arms way too
08:03tight he was fighting tears streaming down his face his mouth was wide open gasping for air like a fish
08:10out of water but no sound came out i tugged on my mom's sleeve mom look at that boy something's
08:17wrong
08:17mom took one look in her face went pale the boy was dressed in fancy clothes but he was barefoot
08:23even worse his feet were raw and bleeding from being dragged across the asphalt mom's eyes narrowed
08:28tracking them like a hawk the couple looked frantic trying to shove the kid into a beat up old truck
08:34no but my mom she's got a heart of gold and a backbone of steel she grabbed us and marched
08:39straight into their path the man had a thick out of state accent hide this is my son this is
08:45a family
08:46matter but when mom looked the boy in the eye and asked if he knew them he just sobbed and
08:51shook
08:51his head violently a crowd started to gather show me some id her voice echoing in the square either we
08:58see some papers or we're calling the sheriff right now that broke them realizing they were about to get
09:03busted they literally shoved the boy to the ground jumped in their truck and floored it leaving a cloud
09:07of exhaust behind mom was leading us toward the station when a neighbor came running up mary what are
09:13you doing out here your husband just fell off a roof at the construction site you got to get to
09:17the
09:17hospital fast i saw the color drain from mom's face she was just a substitute teacher making pennies
09:23dad was the one keeping the lights on if something happened to him we were finished my brothers were
09:28also freaking out but she didn't crumble she gave a quick statement to the police about the boy
09:34then turned to leo my oldest brother he was only 11 but she looked at him like he was a
09:40man
09:40she squeezed his shoulder hard leo you're in charge now look after your brothers and maya
09:46the snow started coming down and heavy blinding sheets leo led us home through the drifts but the
09:52joy of the christmas market was gone i looked at the candy apple in my hand now covered in gray
09:56slush
09:57i took a bite it tasted like bitterness leo made some plain oatmeal for dinner but none of us could
10:03eat only the mute boy we saved ate a full bowl an old neighbor lady came over to stay the
10:08night with us
10:08she kept stroking our hair and sighing that heavy god help us kind of sigh the wind held against the
10:14house all night and i couldn't close my eyes for a second at dawn mom came back her eyes were
10:20bloodshot
10:20and she looked 10 years older she started grabbing everything of value the laying hens the cured meat
10:26from the cellar and then she put on her boots to go door to door begging for loans dad was
10:30in bad shape
10:31the surgery alone was going to be eighty thousand dollars and without insurance that might as well
10:36have been a billion dollars to us dad had been making sixty dollars a day his foreman was a total
10:41scumbag he claimed dad tripped on his own and only offered two hundred dollars for hush money
10:45he even tried to say he'd already paid dad's back wages knowing dad was unconscious and couldn't call
10:51him a liar mom scoured the whole town and only came up with about a thousand bucks she was packing
10:56to head
10:56back to the city hospital when i ran after her with a small carton of eggs i'd found in the
11:00kitchen
11:00mom maybe you can sell these too that was the first time i called her mom i was terrified that
11:05if the
11:06money ran out the love would run out too she teared up and stroked my hair keep them for your
11:11brothers
11:11maya and listen to me no matter what happens you are our daughter forever before she left she gripped
11:18leo's hands look after maya and the quiet boy she whispered keep them safe leo don't you worry about
11:25your father i'm going to handle it i'll find a way i watched her walk away into the blizzard until
11:30she
11:30was nothing but a shadow in the white out later when the water ran out leo went to the well
11:35and i
11:36followed him a group of local women were huddled there gossiping linda was right in the middle of
11:41them one woman looked at me inside if the millers go broke over this accident they won't be able to
11:46keep that girl she'll probably end up back where she started she's a jinx things were fine for them
11:52until she showed up there's no way that little brat setting foot in my house again not a chance i
11:58won't
11:58have her cursing my precious son she can rot in the street for all i care leo grabbed my hand
12:03so
12:04hard it hurt he stood tall and stared them down maya is my sister as long as i have a
12:09crust of bread
12:10she'll have half of it we are never giving her up tears stung my eyes for the first time ever
12:16i felt
12:16like i had a real family linda just rolled her eyes and scoffed you brat you don't call the shot
12:22leo
12:22leo's face was beet red with rage finally mrs smith snapped for god's sake linda shut up that girl came
12:30out of your own body don't you have a shred of decency left oh i hope she finds everyone here
12:36started murmuring in agreement but linda just gave a nasty little smirk oh i have gotta gotta dance a
12:42girl but let's be real she ain't born for happy endings for lunch that day i only took a tiny
12:49scoop
12:49of mashed potatoes i figured if i didn't eat too much maybe my parents wouldn't have to worry about
12:54one more mouth to feed maybe that money could go to the hospital but leo saw right through me
13:00he grabbed my bowl piled it high with a second helping and scraped the last of the scrambled eggs
13:04onto my plate here you go maya his voice firm but kind he turned to the runaway boy we'd rescued
13:10and
13:10gave him an extra scoop you too kid you need your strength the boy struggled for a long time his
13:16jaw
13:17working as if he'd forgotten how to use it thank you
13:21so he wasn't mute after all his voice sounded like gravel grinding together probably from the
13:26trauma or some infection he caught while on the run toward evening sarah snuck over to our porch
13:31she stared at my clean warm sweater
13:38i nodded did mrs miller buy that for you yeah my mom got it for me listen linda said that
13:45if the
13:46millers go broke and try to return you she's not taking you back she's already talking to some creepy
13:50guy in the next county who's looking for a live-in maid she's gonna sell you for cash maya i
13:55only came
13:55here to warn you because we share the same blood mom stayed at the hospital again that night the old
14:01neighbor lady mrs gable came over to tuck us in but the house felt empty and haunted without mom's
14:06warmth
14:10i had a horrific nightmare i dreamt i was back in frank and linda's shack locked in a rusted dog
14:15kennel while they stood over me with a belt i woke up drenched in cold sweat my heart hammering
14:20against my ribs like a trapped bird suddenly a violent pounding erupted at the front door
14:27mary leo open up it was the pastor hill's voice and he sounded frantic my first thought
14:33dad is gone leo bolted upright and scrambled to the front door it wasn't the sheriff's bad news
14:39about dad it was the quiet boy's parents his name is ethan you could tell just by their clothes
14:44designer coats and expensive leather boots that they were from a completely different world their
14:49faces were etched with pure raw desperation the moment the woman saw ethan rubbing his sleepy
14:54eyes in the hallway she let out a choked sob and threw herself at him clutching him like
14:59she was afraid he'd vanish if she let go ethan struggled for a moment his voice still raspy
15:03and broken but then he managed to choke out one word mom that broke her she started sobbing
15:09even harder ethan used a mix of broken words and frantic gestures to explain everything that
15:14had happened since those kidnappers snatched him mrs harrison kept kissing ethan's forehead then
15:19she reached out and squeezed my hand her eyes shining with gratitude maya she said maya you
15:24saved our son tell me honey what do you want i'll get you anything in the world i looked down
15:31at my
15:31scuffed boots and whispered i want my dad to wake up i want him to be okay the pastor hill
15:38stood in the
15:38corner and let out a heavy sigh they adopted this unwanted child and now the child's father is
15:44critically ill with medical bills piling up they're good people it's just life hasn't been
15:50kind to them lately mr harrison finally spoke up in my world kindness like that doesn't go on reward
15:56he walked over and placed a reassuring hand on my head don't you worry maya your father is going to
16:03be just fine i'm going to make sure of it they stayed the night in our cramped little house the
16:10next
16:10morning the harrisons loaded all of us into their sleek black suv to head to the city hospital it
16:15was the first time i'd ever been inside a car that didn't smell like wet hay and gasoline back then
16:20nobody cared about seat belt laws were overcrowding we kids were squeezed together in the back seat half
16:25scared and half amazed watching the mountains blur past the window the surgery had already started
16:31when we reached the hospital we found mom in the hallway literally on her knees begging the head of
16:36billing to authorize dad's surgery but rules were rules no cash no surgery mr harrison didn't say a
16:43word he just walked straight to the counter pulled out a black credit card and cleared the entire 80
16:48thousand dollar balance in seconds minutes later the hospital's chief of staff personally came down to
16:54greet us suddenly dad was a priority they moved him to a private suite and paged the best neurosurgeon in
17:00the state by that afternoon the atmosphere changed completely a guy in an expensive suit the owner of
17:07the construction company showed up with dad's sleazy foreman in tow they were sweating bullets bowing and
17:12scraping to mr harrison like he was the king of the city turns out mr harrison sat on the city
17:17council and
17:18oversaw all their building permits the foreman who had been laughing at us two days ago suddenly found
17:24the missing back pay he handed mom an envelope full of cash and stammered that the company would cover
17:28every cent of dad's recovery they were terrified of what mr harrison could do to their business
17:33we were all standing there in shock trying to process how our world had flipped upside down in
17:37three hours mom couldn't stop crying clutching mrs harrison's hands and thanking her over and over
17:43mrs harrison just held her tight mary i thought ethan was gone for good you saved him
17:50this means far more to me than words can express her voice broke and right there in the middle of
17:55the
17:55sterile hospital hallway these two women from completely different worlds just broke down
17:59and sobbed in each other's arms as i listened to them talk the pieces started to fit together
18:04the harrisons were heavy hitters from the capital back in this tiny mountain town to visit their old
18:09family estate for the holidays they'd spent years struggling with infertility before ethan was born
18:13so he was their miracle child they usually had a full-time nanny but they decided to handle the trip
18:19alone this time one split second distraction at the market was all it took for those monsters to
18:24snatch him if it wasn't for mom's meddling heart ethan would be a statistic by now and the craziest
18:30part the shock of being saved by us actually broke the selective nudism ethan had struggled with for
18:35years he was finally talking when dad finally rolled out of surgery the lead surgeon gave us a
18:40thumbs up his leg was saved it was only then that i realized it was christmas eve mr harrison ordered
18:46a
18:46full catering spread from the best steakhouse in the city for our christmas dinner i sat there staring
18:51at the prime rib and loaded potatoes realizing there were flavors in this world i couldn't have
18:55even imagined in my wildest dreams after dinner it was time for the harrisons to head back to the
19:00capital ethan wouldn't let go of my hand he looked at his parents then at me maya come with us
19:08mrs harrison talked to mom in hushed tones for a while then she knelt down to my level maya sweetie
19:14how would you like to come live with us in the city you'd have your own room you could go
19:19to the
19:19best private school with ethan and you'd never have to worry about a meal again i looked at mom
19:24my heart sinking was she trying to get rid of me did she finally believe linda's words about me being
19:30a jinx mom's eyes were brimming with tears as she stroked my hair they're kind people maya they can
19:36give us a life we only dream of you deserve that i grabbed mom's hand and shook my head so
19:42hard it hurt
19:42i didn't want a mansion i wanted her mrs harrison pulled me into a hug smelling of expensive
19:49you're a loyal soul sweetheart you love your family more than gold and that makes you special
19:56i believe i'll see you soon as i watched their suv disappear into the snowy night i reached into my
20:01coat pocket my fingers brushed against something thick and paper wrapped it was a massive roll of
20:07hundred dollar bills dad's leg never fully recovered because of the delay in getting him to the city
20:11even with the best surgeons he'd always have a slight limp when he walked too fast but in our
20:16town keeping your leg at all was considered a miracle around here people die or end up disabled
20:22every day because they can't afford a doctor mom told everyone who'd listened that i was the reason
20:26our family was still whole she called me the hero who saved the millers even dad started calling me a
20:32brave kid everyone in town was praising me except for frank and linda just rolled their eyes telling
20:38people that if i hadn't brought my bad luck to the millers the accident never would have happened in
20:42the first place they still hated me but honestly i didn't care i had a dad and mom who loved
20:49me and
20:49brothers who protected me that was my real wealth a few weeks later the harrisons came back for a visit
20:56their trunk was overflowing with gifts imported chocolates high-end electronics and brand new designer
21:01outfits for all of us kids but they weren't just there to bring gifts mrs harrison had an offer she
21:08pulled some strings to get dad a job as a security supervisor at a major tech plant in the city
21:12it paid
21:13triple what he made on the farm had full benefits and was a lot safer than climbing roofs for mom
21:19they
21:19found an opening at a prestigious charter school in the city they'd set up an interview for a teaching
21:24position that could eventually lead to a full-time tenure contract and for us four kids they'd already
21:29looked into the school districts so we could all transfer together my parents were hesitant afraid
21:34of being a burden but mrs harrison just laughed it off it's not a favor mary it's an investment
21:41i just want ethan to grow up surrounded by kids as brave and kind as yours
21:47ethan had gone silent again the second they got back to the city it wasn't until mrs harrison mentioned
21:52coming back to visit us that he finally started talking in his broken raspy voice he was attached to
21:57us to me news of our lottery wins spread through the mountains like wildfire before the harrisons
22:03could even pack their suv frank and linda showed up looking like they just smelled money linda had
22:08this fake sugary smile plastered on her face that i'd never seen before you know i went through 18
22:14hours of labor for this girl she told mrs harrison i'm her real flesh and blood her only mother her
22:23eyes
22:23were darting toward the harrison's expensive car dripping with greed if you're handing out rewards
22:28shouldn't the real parents be getting paid frank stepped up too grabbing my other arm like i was a
22:33piece of property arthur arthur we just can't bear to be apart from maya we're taking her back
22:43she belongs with her real family mary was frantic let her go you're hurting her please just stop
22:52but they didn't budge they held onto me like i was a golden ticket they were afraid to lose
22:57mr harrison watched them with a look of pure disgust mrs harrison knelt down in front of me
23:02ignoring the shouting maya are these people really your parents i pressed my lips together
23:09paralyzed with fear of course we are ask anyone in this god forsaken town we shared the same roof
23:16for five years mrs harrison looked conflicted playing along for a second look
23:24we're reasonable we're reasonable you just get our son into one of those fancy prep schools in the city
23:31that's all we ask you are important people a few phone calls from you and our lives will be
23:39settled the neighbors were all gathered around watching the drama unfold maya are these your
23:46parents of course we are biological siblings mrs harrison kept her eyes locked on mine i gathered
23:53every ounce of courage i had no mary and arthur are my parents these people are strangers linda's
24:01face twisted into something demonic screaming curses at me frank lost it he raised his hand
24:06to backhand me across the face but before he could connect arthur stepped in and shoved him back so hard
24:12he nearly hit the dirt don't touch my daughter it was the loudest i'd ever heard him speak he scooped
24:19me up and handed me to mom take my inside right away my dad usually the quietest man in the
24:26county
24:26grabbed a heavy garden hole from the porch he stood his ground like an iron wall if maya says she's
24:33staying she's staying you'll have to go through me to get to her the yard turned into a chaotic shouting
24:38match finally the pastor hill stepped in listen frank you signed the paper took the money and the
24:46whole town is watching you can't sell your child and then come back to take her away when she becomes
24:53valuable the neighbors started jeering calling frank and linda out for their disgusting greed the tide
24:59was turning against them linda was fuming her face bright red i gave to her and this is an unchangeable
25:07f**k mrs harrison stepped forward a cold elegant smile on her face linda
25:14let me make it clear we won't repay those who give birth to children but only those who've raised
25:19children well we are grateful to those who showed kindness to my son not to those who abandoned their
25:26own daughter she picked up a box of expensive chocolates and tossed it toward linda take this
25:30and go home don't ruin everyone's holiday you won't get a single cent more we're just an ordinary
25:37family linda we don't have some magic wand to fix lives for people who won't help themselves
25:45linda and arthur realized the well had run dry and slunk away like beaten dogs i stood there
25:50tears blurring my vision terrified that i'd caused too much trouble for my new family mrs harrison
25:55knelt down and wiped a tear from my cheek oh sweetie it's fine it's not your fault and you did
26:01nothing wrong you were so brave just now you chose the people who love you and that's never a mistake
26:08it took a week to pack up our lives after the holidays the car sent by the harrisons picked us
26:13up
26:13as we drove toward the city i watched the mountains shrink in the rearview mirror
26:17leaving the darkness behind arthur's size and honest face made him a perfect fit for the security
26:22team at the plant the captain liked him instantly and mary stayed up late every night prepping for
26:27her teaching demo she taught every grade back home and her passion blew the interviewers away
26:32the harrisons helped us find a rental just a few blocks from their estate they wanted ethan and me
26:37to stay close hoping our bond would keep him moving forward ethan and i started at the same elementary
26:42school he was brilliant a literal genius but his stutter made him a target for the local bullies
26:47i was terrified of the bully myself but seeing them pick on ethan made my blood boil every time
26:53someone tried to shove him i was there standing in front of him like a human shield growing up in
26:58a
26:58house full of my noisy brothers forced ethan to find his voice by third grade his stutter was gone
27:04and he was topping every class he'd even helped me with my math homework teasing me and calling me
27:09a dummy when i couldn't get the equations right i wasn't the academic star of the family my grades were
27:15always just average but my brothers they were crushing it constantly making the dean's list
27:20mom worked harder than anyone she knew she'd gotten her foot in the door because of a favor
27:25so she felt she had to prove she belonged there she spent her weekends tutoring kids for extra cash
27:30never taking a day off when her first class graduated with the highest honors in the district
27:35the school finally offered her a permanent tenure contract she took us out for a huge celebratory
27:40dinner that night but later i caught her crying in the kitchen tears of pure relief dad was the
27:46backbone of that factory while other guards slept through their night shifts arthur patrolled every
27:51inch of the grounds he was too kind for his own good always covering shifts for guys who wanted to
27:57stay
27:57home i was in middle school when it happened dad had agreed to cover another late shift around 2 am
28:04two intruders cut through the perimeter fence the other guards saw their knives and froze in fear
28:09but not my dad even with his limp he chased them down one of them turned and buried a blade
28:15in dad's
28:15shoulder but he didn't let go he pinned the guy to the ground and held on for dear life when
28:20the cops
28:20finally arrived they found the thieves carrying sensitive blueprints proprietary tech that would
28:25have destroyed the company if it leaked my dad the limping security guard had just saved the entire
28:30corporation the burglars confessed they were hired by a rival competitor to steal those blueprints
28:35when mrs harrison came to the hospital to check on dad she was nearly in tears arthur you can't throw
28:41your life away for a company nothing is worth more than your breath dad just gave her that humble
28:47tired smile of his you stuck your neck out to get me this job mary i couldn't let you look
28:53bad besides
28:55if a man takes a paycheck he owes the man his best work mrs harrison went silent clearly moved by
29:03his
29:03old school integrity the corporate exacts weren't blind to it either since the head of security was
29:08retiring the ceo announced that dad was taking the spot he'd earned it in blood and no one dared to
29:14complain luck was finally on our side the company had a program helping senior staff buy homes in a new
29:19development dad wasn't technically eligible yet but because of his bravery they fast-tracked him
29:24with a small loan from the harrisons and years of mom's savings we moved into a beautiful three
29:29bedroom condo my parents had their room my brothers shared the largest one and i for the first time in
29:34my life had a room of my own i used to dream of this but i never thought it would
29:38be real when we went
29:40back to the mountains for the holidays everyone treated us like royalty everyone except linda she cornered me
29:46in the kitchen hissing don't get too comfortable in that fancy condo you're a girl one day you'll
29:53belong to some man and this room will go to your brother she stared at my brand new sneakers with
29:58pure envy what size are those they look like they'd fit finn
30:05that backpack looks expensive too her eyes roaming over my things and i bet you got plenty of christmas
30:12cash give some to your brother it made my skin crawl as far as i was concerned i'd had three
30:17brothers since i was five ssat were looming mom hired a tutor and ethan spent every free second
30:22trying to drill math into my head but i just wasn't built for academics no matter how many late nights
30:28i pulled my grades barely budged the night before the big test mom brought me a glass of warm milk
30:33just do your best maya if the elite high schools don't take you we'll look into a trade school
30:41don't carry the world on your shoulders
30:46after the exams my adoptive grandma fell ill so we went back to the mountains to care for her
30:51she had several grandsons but i was her only granddaughter even though we weren't blood she treated
30:57me like her own sneaking me dollar bills from a little cloth pouch under her pillow
31:00the day after we arrived linda showed up at the front door she wasn't alone she was trailing a
31:06massive middle-aged man who looked like he'd been carved out of salt pork sweaty arrogant and eyes
31:11that felt like slime what's the point of education maya we all know you aren't the smart one linda said
31:15gesturing to the man behind her this is peter he owns the biggest industrial pig farm in the tri-state
31:20area well he's not as young as you are but he's wealthy you'll be set for life
31:25just marry him you'll be the queen of that farm isn't that better than failing exam
31:33peter sized me up from head to toe a greasy smirk on his face he held up two fingers acting
31:38like a
31:38big shot i'll write a check for two hundred thousand dollars right now provided she's still you know
31:44intact and if she gives me a son another one hundred thousand dollars bonus linda pulled mary aside
31:51whispering like she was closing a business deal look mary i'm being generous here i'll take 150k for
31:58the delivery fees and you keep 50k dollars for the maintenance see raising her wasn't a waste of time
32:04after all mary looked like she was about to have a stroke maya's barely 16 she's a child linda didn't
32:12even flinch it's exactly why she's worth so much wait until she's 20 something and used up nobody's
32:18gonna pay a dime for her then my grandma sat bolt upright in her sick bed shaking with rage as
32:23she
32:23reached for a broom my uncles men with short tempers and big hearts instantly grabbed their farming tools
32:28my brothers followed suit picking up anything heavy they could find no uncle daniel jammed his hoe toward
32:33peter's chest you think your dirty money buys you a seat at this table go find a mirror you pig
32:40-faced
32:41creep you aren't fit to breathe the same air as my niece my aunt ran out of the kitchen brandishing
32:47a butcher knife pointing it straight at linda maya is the only girl in this family and we aren't letting
32:52a vulture like you sell her off if this pig is such a catch why don't you marry him you
32:57look like you got
32:58the hips to pop out a dozen airs for him yourself mom pulled me behind her shielding me with her
33:03body maya is my daughter her legal papers are with the millers i am responsible for her future linda
33:10if i ever see you near her again i'm calling the police get out
33:17peter was sweating for his silk shirt terrified but linda wouldn't shut up fine kick us out but face
33:24the facts she's failing school she's got no future no one else is ever gonna offer you this kind of
33:30cash
33:30for a girl with no brains right then mom's phone started buzzing it was my homeroom teacher the
33:38entrance exam results were in who says maya can't make it my daughter is brilliant she's going to the
33:45best high school and after that elite university she's going to be someone you can only dream of
33:51being i hadn't just passed i peaked i scored 50 points higher than my best practice test with the
33:57threat of my uncle's taxes linda and peter scrambled for their car and died away maya the world is harder
34:02on women like us you have to work twice as hard just to stand still but you showed them today
34:10don't ever stop trying you'll get there ethan and i both made it into the city's top high school
34:15he was ranked first in the district i was well let's just say i barely scraped in he was in
34:21the
34:21honors wing on the first floor and i was tucked away on the fourth but every single day without
34:26fail he was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs he was popular the school's golden boy
34:31everyone was constantly whispering wondering who the average girl always by his side was
34:36the pressure was suffocating one day on the walk home i couldn't take it anymore ethan
34:42maybe we should stop walking together he stopped in his tracks his eyes narrowing why
34:50people are talking ethan they think there's something between us he didn't even look up
34:56from his textbook did you finish your calculus homework i stammered no not yet then you clearly
35:04have too much free time if you're listening to school gossip despite the rumors he kept waiting
35:09for me at the bottom of the stairs every day when the principal finally called him into the
35:13office to discuss distractions ethan just gave him a cold calm look she's family watching out for her
35:20is like a habit the administration kept an eye on us for a few weeks but since ethan's grades didn't
35:25drop and we weren't making out in the hallways they eventually let it go but then came a new
35:28headache half the girls in school started using me as a mailbox for their love letters after i delivered a
35:34few ethan actually snitched on me to my mom he told her i was neglecting my studies to run a
35:38courier service which got me grounded and made me an enemy to half the cheerleading squad my grades
35:44were still a disaster even mom had started looking into trade schools but ethan refused to give up
35:49he spent every night tutoring me explaining the same concepts over and over with the patients i
35:54didn't know he had i felt too guilty to slack off so i pushed myself just to keep from drowning
35:58senior year hit like a freight train a few weeks in ethan's world imploded mr harrison was
36:05taken away for a federal investigation his mother was forced into administrative leave
36:09in just a few days i saw the light fade from ethan's eyes he looked like he'd aged 10 years
36:15overnight
36:15i couldn't wrap my head around it the harrisons were the best couple i ever seen how could they
36:20end up like this mom just sighed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear
36:24maya in the world of power it's not always about right or wrong sometimes just standing on the wrong
36:30side of a line can destroy you over the years my parents hadn't actually spent much time socializing
36:38with the harrisons mom always said that true friendship doesn't need to be flashy they were
36:42there for us when we were at our lowest and we didn't need to suck up to them when they
36:46were at
36:46their highest but now that the harrisons were toxic everyone who used to beg for their favors had
36:51vanished except for my mom she took our family's entire life savings and went to see mrs harrison
36:57they talked for a long time when they finally emerged from the room mrs harrison's eyes were
37:03clearly swollen from crying mary i'm gonna be blunt this amount won't even scratch the surface of
37:08our legal fees keep it for your kids but if things go south for us please just look after me
37:15mom
37:15gripped her hand her voice shaking but certain i swear to god mr harrison he is my son always ethan
37:23tried to act like he was fine but i could see the cracks for the first time ever he dropped
37:28out of
37:28the top three in our monthly rankings i was terrified for him i started dragging him to lunch
37:33forcing him to study with me and sticking to him like glue one saturday i forced him to go for
37:39a walk
37:39by the river to clear his head the weather was turning the cold biting wind was whipping across the
37:44water and the trails were nearly empty just as i was about to head back i saw a splash an
37:50elderly man
37:50had lost his footing and fallen into the freezing current he struggled for a second then his head
37:55dipped below the surface i didn't think i didn't even look at ethan i kicked off my sneakers and dug
38:01straight into the ice cold water growing up near the mountains i've been a fish in the water since i
38:07was three when we moved to the city mom even enrolled me in swimming classes but real life rescue
38:12that was a different beast in the panic of the moment the elderly man grabbed my neck like a
38:17drowning sailor clinging to a mask i swallowed runfuls of freezing water the weight dragging us
38:22both under thank god for ethan he found a long wooden pole and hauled us both toward the bank
38:26the second i crawled onto the grass coughing and gasping he exploded are you insane maya what were
38:32you trying to prove playing the hero if i hadn't found that pole you'd be at the bottom of the
38:36river
38:36right now he was terrifying i gotta say but i could see his hands shaking i huddled into a ball
38:41shivering
38:42violently ethan i'm so cold his eyes were bloodshot filled with a fear i'd never seen before he ripped
38:48off his coat and wrapped it around me pulling me tight don't ever do that again maya he whispered
38:54into my hair promise me the paramedics arrived and rushed with the old man i felt okay just cold
39:01but ethan wouldn't take no for an answer he made the doctors run every test in the book mom and
39:06mrs
39:06harrison arrived soon after pale with worry they both gave me the same lecture about reckless bravery
39:11their voices trembling with relief in the middle of the lecture there was a soft knock a distinguished
39:17looking man in his 60s stood there excuse me is this maya miller's room mrs harrison turned around
39:24and her entire posture changed she looked stunned almost breathless it's the state governor
39:31mr davis what what are you doing here mr davis's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked between us
39:38wait sophia you know this girl it clicked i'd seen his face on the news just last week
39:45ethan had stared at the screen with a dark expression and muttered i hope he's as honest
39:49as they say he's the only one who can give my dad a fair shake mrs harrison hesitated she's
39:55the daughter of a close friend i caught my mom's eye and she gave me a tiny imperceptible nod i
40:01knew
40:01what i had to do god ma'am what's wrong i chirped putting on my best innocent daughter act a
40:08friend's
40:08daughter aren't i your favorite goddaughter mrs harrison froze for a split second then a look
40:14of realization dawned on her she reached out and patted my head oh you silly girl what i have
40:20saved is mr davis's father i shook my head pointing at ethan it wasn't just me sir if it
40:25wasn't for ethan both your father and i would be gone he was the one who kept his head and
40:29pulled
40:30us out mr davis looked at ethan with genuine respect sophia you've raised a fine son courage
40:37clearly runs in the family mrs harrison gave a modest smile he gets it from his father mr davis
40:43thank you after mr davis left mrs harrison came back into the room her eyes shining with something like
40:48hope thanks for that maya how did you know to call me god mom in front of him
40:56i glanced at mom feeling a bit shy mom always said if there's a chance to help you i should
41:02take it
41:04helping you means helping him but a man like mr davis didn't get to where he was by being naive
41:08mr harrison told us later that he'd had the police review the traffic cameras they confirmed his father
41:13had simply slipped and that ethan and i being there was nothing more than a lucky coincidence
41:18it wasn't the first time ethan and i had played the good samaritans helping old ladies carry
41:22groceries or walking lost kids home was just something we did we've been lucky so far never
41:27ran into trouble just people who were genuinely grateful about a month later the investigation
41:31cleared mr harrison it turned out he kept his nose clean but the same couldn't be said for his boss
41:36his superior was caught in a massive corruption scandal that took down half the department
41:40in the vacuum that followed mr harrison was the only one with a clean record left to leave
41:45he didn't just keep his job he was promoted to the top spot the harrison estate was buzzing
41:50with people again mom was thrilled for them but she started keeping her distance
41:54you don't show you care by hanging around when people are successful you keep them in your heart
42:00and that's enough mr harrison didn't see it that way as the holidays approached she insisted on taking
42:05mom and me out for dinner
42:10mom thought it would just be a quiet family dinner but when we arrived mrs harrison introduced us to the
42:15superintendent of the city's school district the conversation stayed light mostly just small talk
42:19over wine but the message was clear as we were leaving mom whispered to mrs harrison you didn't
42:24have to do this for me sophia mrs harrison just squeezed her hand i know about this and it's exactly
42:32what you deserve you deserve this by the time the new semester started mom had been transferred to the
42:39most prestigious elementary school in the city on new year's eve mr davis sent a car to bring ethan and
42:44me
42:44to his home for dinner his place was surprisingly modest filled with old books and worn in furniture
42:49mr davis's father pulled out a pearl necklace and a pocket watch here one for mike he whispered with
42:55a glassy look in his eyes merry christmas kids i later found out that mr davis had a younger brother
43:02and sister who had tragically drowned decades ago the old man's dementia had convinced him that ethan
43:07and ever those lost children come back to life it broke my heart to see him smile at us like
43:11that
43:12that spring dad's company went through a massive restructuring people were being laid off left and
43:16right but arthur was untouchable he kept his role as head of security got a larger team under him and
43:22even a modest raise but i barely noticed any of it my entire world had shrunk down to one thing
43:27the sats were coming and my future was on the line
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