Tender Refuge

"Derek!" The little girl rushed at Derek the moment she saw him. She threw her arms around him and held on tight. "Don't leave me!"

Derek knelt down and pulled her into his arms. He held her close and spoke in a soft voice.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with you."

She cried for a while, her small body shaking.

Then she sniffed and whispered, "Derek, I'm hungry."

Derek felt stuck. He had just