In the living room of the orphanage, a young boy sat on the sofa with a book open across his lap and his decisive green eyes glued to the page, absorbed as always. He was ten years old, and he had spent his entire childhood within those walls. The place was called the Day Light Orphanage, and ever since Lira had found him on its front steps, it had been the only home he had ever known.
It had happened on a rainy night. Lira, the orphanage's caretaker, had stepped outside to bring in the laundry and noticed a small box sitting near the door. Inside it, wrapped in a damp blanket, was a baby. She stood frozen for a moment, struck by the cruelty of leaving an infant out in a storm like that. Then she lifted him carefully into her arms and brought him inside. Tucked beside him in the box was a folded letter.
If you are reading this, then you have found my boy. Please don't judge me. I have been forced into this decision by a promise I made to someone. I hope he grows up well and becomes a great man. He will probably never read this, but if he does, I want him to know that it was never his fault, and I sincerely hope that one day he will forgive me. Live on, Youri, and never stop. Love you. Dad.
When she had finished reading, Lira looked down at the baby — at his tiny face and his soft brown hair — and smiled gently and whispered, "Alright then, Youri. I guess you're part of the family now."
Lira was a beautiful woman, with auburn hair that fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Her face was radiant, with high cheekbones and a bright, welcoming smile that was impossible to resist. Her green eyes were lively and kind. She raised Youri and every other child who passed through Day Light as if each one of them were her own.
Of all the children who came and went, three had lived there since they were babies: Emma, Liam and Youri. They were close in age — Liam the oldest by two years, then Youri and Emma. The three of them were inseparable, like siblings bound by something deeper than blood. Liam was the energetic troublemaker, tall for his age with blond hair and blue eyes, always playing pranks on the other children and stealing Lira's laundry just to make her chase him around the house, until the whole place was full of laughter. At nine, he was adopted by a family from Talion, the capital of Volar, and it was the first time Youri lost one of his siblings. Liam never sent a message or called, not once afterward. Perhaps it was for the best, Youri and Emma told each other. Liam had started a new life, and there was no room left in it for his past.
Two years later, another family came to visit Day Light, a couple from a different planet who ran a cargo business and traveled constantly but wanted to settle down on Volar. They met all the children, and they seemed truly kind. The wife was a gentle woman with long blonde hair and soft blue eyes, eager to hear every story the children wanted to tell her. Her husband was rough around the edges, a hardworking man, bald, with a thick brown beard and honest eyes. They came back to visit a few more times, and on their last visit they made their decision: they wanted Emma. Emma was the quiet, shy girl that everyone loved, with dark hair and soft brown eyes. At the age of eight she was adopted and left, and Youri was the last of the three still living in the house.
Another year passed. The orphanage grew quieter and quieter as the other children left one after another, until Youri was the only child remaining. Alone now, he found his comfort in books. Lira had taught him to read when he was very young. In doing so she had opened endless worlds for him, and reading became the anchor of his lonely days.
But that same year, on a rainy afternoon, a black car pulled up in front of the orphanage, and Youri watched through the rain-speckled window as a man stepped out of it. He wore a black suit, a black fedora and dark sunglasses. When he came into the house, he took off his glasses and his hat, revealing black, marble-like eyes and slicked-back, oily hair, and held his fedora against his chest as he spoke.
"Excuse me, miss. Are you the caretaker of this orphanage?"
Lira nodded. "Yes. How can I help you, Mr…?"
The man smiled and kept smiling. "Knox. Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner."
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Knox. I'm Lira. What can I do for you?"
Knox leaned forward slightly. "I'm looking to expand my family. I'm a single man in my mid-forties, and all my colleagues and friends have children. I've always wanted a child of my own. Fate simply never shared my opinion." He let out a small, practiced laugh.
Lira smiled politely and shook her head. "We don't usually place children with single parents. It can be a difficult situation for a child, especially given how they grow up here. Raising a child alone takes time and attention that many single parents simply can't give."
Knox nodded slowly, and his smile did not change at all. "I completely agree with you, Miss Lira. But I recently retired, and now I find myself with plenty of time. And — not to brag — I own several businesses, and I live quite comfortably."
Lira cut him off firmly. "Thank you, Mr. Knox, but as I said, we don't give children to single people. I'm truly sorry."
Knox straightened, and his smile stayed exactly where it was. He glanced across the room at the boy sitting on the sofa with his book. "What a shame. You seem like quite the young man." Then he turned back to Lira and pressed a business card into her hand. "If you ever change your mind, I'd appreciate a call."
Lira took the card. "I don't think so. But if anything changes, I'll let you know."
Knox walked back out to his car. Youri watched from the window as he climbed inside and drove away into the rain. Behind him, Lira called out from the kitchen, and her voice sounded perfectly normal, as though nothing had happened at all.
"Youri, dinner's ready! Come on!"