Alice grew up in an orphanage, surrounded by other children and caretakers. Life was never easy, but she learned to stand up for herself and protect the younger ones. She had a strong sense of justice and couldnt bear to see the weak mistreated. Sometimes she suffered for it, but she never criedshe knew she was fighting for what was right.
Her name was originally Alice, but in the orphanage, everyone called her Ally. When she turned eighteen, she was sent out into the world on her own. Luckily, she already had a tradeshed trained as a cook and had been working as a kitchen assistant in a café for a few months. She was given a room in a rundown dormitory, barely fit to live in.
Around that time, she started seeing Victor, a café delivery driver three years her senior. Soon, she moved into his one-bedroom flat, a small inheritance from his grandmother.
«Ally, come live with me,» he said. «That dorm rooms a dump. The lock doesnt even work. At least here we can fix things up.» She agreedVictor seemed mature, responsible.
One evening, they talked about children. He scoffed.
«Cant stand kids. Noise, mess, nothing but trouble.»
«Victor,» she said, surprised, «but if its your own childyour flesh and bloodhow could you say that?»
«Lets drop it. I dont want them, full stop,» he snapped.
His words stung, but she pushed the hurt aside. Maybe hed change his mind if they married.
At the café, Ally worked hard, often covering for the head cook, Valerie, who called in sick with «headaches» (though everyone knew she drank too much). The manager, Mr. Thompson, tolerated it only because Valeries cooking kept customers coming back.
«One more slip-up, and youre out,» he warned her.
Ally overheard him talking to the floor manager one day.
«If Valerie skips again, shes done. Allys young, but shes got skill. Hardworking, reliable.»
She felt a pang of guiltValerie was kind, just lostbut kept quiet.
Eventually, Valerie vanished for a week. Ally took over, and not a single customer complained. When Valerie finally returned, shaking and hollow-eyed, Mr. Thompson fired her on the spot.
«Ally, youre head cook now. Youve got potentialkeep at it.»
She was thrilled. The pay was decent, and at her age, it was a real achievement.
Victor brought champagne that evening.
«Congrats. Knew youd make it.»
Theyd lived together three years. He didnt drink, rarely raised his voice, but marriage never came up. She didnt push ituntil she realised she was pregnant.
At the clinic, the doctor confirmed it. She was overjoyed.
«Youll be my family,» she whispered, touching her still-flat stomach.
That evening, Victor noticed her glow.
«Whats got you smiling?»
She beamed. «I went to the doctor today. Were going to have a baby.»
His face darkened. «No. Get rid of it, or get out. I told youI dont want kids. Youve got nowhere to go. Think carefully.»
His icy tone terrified her. The next day, she packed her things and returned to the dorm.
Room 35 greeted her with peeling paint, dust, and a broken lock. The bed was stained, the furniture battered. But she squared her shoulders.
«Well manage,» she whispered.
She scrubbed the floors, washed the windows, bought fresh bedding. Slowly, the room became hers.
At work, a new waiter, Timothy, took notice of her. One evening, he walked her home. She offered tea out of politeness, but his kindness stirred something in herthough she pushed it away. She was pregnant.
Yet Timothy persisted. One day, he took her hands.
«Marry me, Ally. Im alone, youre alone. I love youand your baby too. Theyll be mine as much as yours.»
She hesitated, but his warmth was nothing like Victors coldness. She said yes.
When the baby came, Timothy waited outside the hospital, then rushed home to paint the room and set up a crib.
He met them at the door with flowers. Ally barely recognized the placeclean, bright, full of balloons.
She smiled. «Well manage.»
And she knew they would.
Lifes hardest moments often lead to the greatest blessingsif we have the courage to walk away from what doesnt serve us and embrace what does.
