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She Offered Me $2 to Save Her Daughter… I Did This Instead | Storytime Stateside
Aug 12, 2025
#redditrelationship #aita #redditstories She Offered Me $2 to Save Her Daughter… I Did This Instead | Storytime Stateside On a freezing, stormy night, a desperate mother and her little girl showed up at my door — soaked, shivering, and holding only a $2 bill. What started as a single act of kindness turned into a life-changing journey of healing, love, and redemption. From saving a stranger to building a family, this is the true story of how an old mountain lodge — nearly shut down — found new life through unexpected guests and an unforgettable bond. If you believe in second chances and the power of compassion, this story is for you. 💬 What would YOU have done if someone knocked on your door like this?
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0:00
It was a blustery, bone-chilling night,
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the kind of blizzard that blankets the
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world in white and makes you feel
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utterly alone.
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But on this night, I was not alone.
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There was a gentle knock at the door,
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and when I opened it, a woman and a
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little girl stood before me, shivering
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violently. They were soaked to the bone,
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their clothes thin and ragged. The
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woman, with a look of desperation in her
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eyes, held out a wrinkled $2 bill.
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Please, she begged, her voice barely a
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whisper. Could you let my daughter stay
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the night? The girl, tears streaming
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down her face clung to her mother's leg.
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Mom, don't leave me behind. I want to
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stay with you. The woman's own tears
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began to fall, and she wrapped her
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daughter in a fierce embrace, whispering
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apologies into her hair. My heart achd
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at the sight.
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Without a second thought, I pulled them
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inside. "All right," I said, taking the
0:54
girl's hand. You both can stay. I don't
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need the money. Just take your time and
1:00
relax. Our famous spas and meals are
1:03
yours to enjoy. I had no idea then what
1:06
this simple act of kindness would set in
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motion. My name is John Smith, and I'm
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the third generation owner of a cozy
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little inn called Mountain Lodge.
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Nestled at the foot of a mountain, our
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place has always been known for its
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homestyle meals made with fresh local
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ingredients and its wonderfully relaxing
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spas. Times had been tough lately. Urban
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development had brought a big city right
1:28
to our doorstep with brand new modern
1:30
hotels that were a magnet for tourists.
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Our lodge, though steeped in history and
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known for its warmth, was a quiet,
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forgotten place.
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My reservation book had been a barren
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wasteland for months. I'd even started
1:44
to consider closing the lodge for good.
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"Maybe it's time for a change," I'd
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muttered to myself just that morning.
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But then came the storm, and with it
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Sarah and her daughter Lily. I quickly
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got them settled by a roaring fire,
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wrapped them in thick towels, and turned
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the heat up full blast. After the
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initial shock wore off, Sarah, a woman
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of refined manners, despite her ragged
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appearance, reluctantly explained their
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situation.
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Her husband's company had gone bankrupt,
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leaving a mountain of debt. He had
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vanished, leaving them to face the
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creditors alone. They had nowhere to go.
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My heart went out to them. I had seen
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those vacant, hopeless eyes before. The
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eyes of people who have given up all
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hope. I knew I had to help.
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Why don't you and your daughter stay
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here for a while? I offered. This old
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lodge is a lot to handle on my own. I
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could really use a hand. You could work
2:42
here as a live-in employee.
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Sarah was stunned. But why would you do
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this for us? We're strangers.
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"Then we'll get to know each other," I
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replied, pulling out my driver's
2:53
license. "John Smith, it's a pleasure to
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meet you. It's a a e." Her eyes, which
2:58
had been so dark and empty just moments
3:00
before, began to glimmer with a faint
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light. She introduced herself as Sarah
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Nichols, and her daughter as Lily. With
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Sarah's help, the lodge was transformed.
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She had a keen business mind and a
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background in supporting her husband's
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company.
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She streamlined our reservation system,
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created a new website, and started
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advertising on social media. The once
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empty reservation book, began to fill.
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Guests started returning.
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Lily, a bright and cheerful little girl,
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became the lodge's unofficial mascot.
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She greeted guests with a sunny smile
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and led them to their rooms. Her lively
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personality was contagious, and soon
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word spread about the charming little
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lodge with the adorable hostess.
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Business was booming. We were a family,
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not by blood, but by circumstance, and I
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found myself happier than I had ever
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been. An unexpected reunion. One
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afternoon, after a particularly busy
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day, a group of menacing looking men
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pulled up to the lodge. One of them, a
4:05
hulking brute, shoved a photograph of
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Sarah in my face.
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Where is she? He demanded. We know she's
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here. I stood my ground, my heart
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pounding in my chest. I don't know who
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you're talking about, I said, figning
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ignorance. The men started to get
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aggressive, surrounding me. Just then, a
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well-dressed man stepped out of a black
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car. The other men immediately fell
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silent.
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This man, their boss, looked at me, and
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his eyes widened in surprise.
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Wait a minute, he said, a flicker of
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recognition crossing his face. You're
4:40
You're the guy. It all came flooding
4:43
back to me. Years ago, when I was just
4:46
starting out, a man had stumbled into
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the lodge during a terrible storm,
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bleeding from a gunshot wound. I had
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taken him in, cared for him, and helped
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him recover without asking any
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questions.
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That man, it turned out, was this very
5:01
same crime boss. He immediately turned
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on his men, his voice low and dangerous.
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Apologize all of you. Apologize now.
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He looked back at me, his face filled
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with shame.
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Mr. Smith, I am truly sorry. I didn't
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know. He then turned to his crew. Leave
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this place and leave this woman alone.
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The person we're after is her husband,
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not her.
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As they drove away, Sarah and Lily
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rushed down the stairs, their faces
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etched with fear. "Are you all right,
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John? Are you hurt?" Sarah cried while
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Lily clung to my leg, trembling. I
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smiled, reassuring them that everything
5:42
was fine. "It was then, in that moment,
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that I realized this peaceful life with
5:48
them might be coming to an end. The debt
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collectors were gone. They were free."
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That evening, I sat them down and
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explained what had happened. Sarah's
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face was a mixture of relief and
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disbelief.
6:01
She collapsed into a chair, crying tears
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of gratitude. Thank you, John. Thank you
6:06
for everything. Lily, however, was
6:08
confused. Does this mean we have to
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leave, mister? I don't want to leave. I
6:14
want to live here with you and mom
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forever.
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Sarah knelt down, trying to explain.
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Lily, honey, John, and us were
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strangers. We can't just stay here
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forever. No, no, no, Lily protested,
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turning to her mother. You love him too,
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Mom. I know you do. Sarah's face turned
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bright red, and she shot me an
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apologetic look. John, I am so sorry.
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Please just forget she said that. I
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reached out and gently took her hand, my
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heart pounding just as it had when the
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men had arrived. "I'm sorry, Sarah," I
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said. But I don't think I can forget
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that.
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I fumbled for the words, but before I
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could say anything else, she squeezed my
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hand, her eyes shining with tears and a
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beautiful, hopeful smile.
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You let us stay here, right? Well, then,
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she said, her voice trembling slightly.
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Well be in your care from now on. A
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new beginning. It has been some time
7:12
since then. We learned that Sarah's
7:15
husband was found by the crime boss and
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was put to work to pay off his debts.
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The mafia boss even arranged for a
7:22
lawyer to handle Sarah's divorce and
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Lily's school transfer.
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Now, Mountain Lodge is a bustling, happy
7:29
place. Sarah has become the official
7:31
hostess, and Lily is thriving in her new
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school. She has even started calling me
7:36
dad. We're not legally married yet, but
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for all intents and purposes, we are a
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family.
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John, good morning. Breakfast is all
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prepped and ready, Sarah said, walking
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into the kitchen.
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Thanks, Sarah, I replied, giving her a
7:51
quick peck on the cheek. Lily already
7:54
headed to school. Yes, she left happy as
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can be. She's made so many friends,
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Sarah said, her smile as warm as the
8:02
morning sun. That's wonderful. I was so
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worried about her school life, I
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replied.
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There's a parents day at her school
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coming up, she mentioned. Then you
8:12
should go, I said. I'll hire a
8:15
part-timer to help out so you can go
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with Lily. Don't worry about the lodge.
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Sarah's smile was soft and sincere.
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Thank you, John. But Lily says she wants
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her dad to come, too.
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She was no longer just the weary woman
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who had knocked on my door that cold
8:31
winter night. She was my partner, my
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friend, and the love of my life. "Well,
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then," I said, pulling her into a warm
8:39
embrace. "I guess I'll be there, too."
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We stood there for a moment, just
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enjoying the quiet before the day's
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guests began to arrive. Mountain Lodge
8:49
was full today, and I knew that with
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Sarah and Lily by my side, we would keep
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it that way for many more years to