When Thomas Whitmore saw the two girls, the rain poured like knives on the cold marble of the graveyard. They were kneeling in front of Helena’s grave, his wife who had died two years before, with their hands together in prayer. Their garments were wet and plastered to their skinny bodies, and their dark hair stuck to their pale cheeks.
Thomas’s heart began to race. He was the only one who went to that grave. Nobody should have been there that Sunday morning.
He walked up slowly so as not to frighten them. One of them looked up when he was only a few meters away. They were the same.
Two of them. They were probably no older than seven. Their brown eyes were full of tears and rain, and there was something about the way they looked at him that made him halt.
It wasn’t fear. Hope was what it was. The girl who was looking at him wiped her face with the back of her palm.
Are you her spouse? She asked in a shaky voice. Thomas nodded slowly, but he couldn’t say anything. The other girl kept her head down and whispered things he couldn’t hear.
The first girl remarked that Mrs. Whitmore was our guardian angel. She told us we had to come here if anything went wrong. That she would be there for us.
The world spun around Thomas. Helena had never talked about these kids. She had never said anything about being someone’s guardian angel.
He thought he understood his wife better than anyone else. Who is your mom? He asked, his voice rough. How do you know my wife? The girl had a hard time swallowing.
Laura Davies is my mom’s name. She is now in the hospital. Very ill.
She told us to come here since she stated she wouldn’t be able to be with us for long. The words came out quickly and in a panic. Please, sir.
We don’t have anyone else. My mom mentioned that Mrs. Whitmore indicated she would take care of us if she couldn’t anymore. Thomas didn’t know what the name meant.
Laura Davies. He thought hard about it, trying to remember a time when Helena might have talked about this woman. Nothing.
Just the emptiness of not knowing. How could his wife have promised something without his knowing? How did these kids get into her life without leaving any evidence? Which hospital? Before he even thought about what he was doing, Thomas heard his own voice inquire. Thomas noted that the quieter girl was crying without making a sound when she eventually raised her head.
The main hospital. The room is 312. Her voice was much more weak than her sister’s.
Thomas stared at Helena’s tomb. The writing glowed in the rain. Helena Whitmore.
Wife who is liked. May your love keep shining in the globe. He had always thought the words were pretty but vacuous.
Helena had gone, and all the light had gone with her. In front of these two wet and scared kids, the words seemed to have a weight he had never thought about before. He told her to get in the car and then took off his coat and put it over the shoulders of the female next to him.
We’re headed to the hospital. They were both astonished when they glanced at each other. The first girl said, “But you don’t even know us.”
Thomas felt something in his chest. Your mom knew my wife. That’s enough for now.
There was no talking on the way to the car. Thomas opened the back door, and the girls got in, but they were still unsure. He turned the temperature all the way up and got a blanket that he always kept on the seat.
He drove through the empty streets that wet morning and saw the two small figures huddled together in the rearview mirror. They were shivering, but not only from the cold. What are your names? He asked, breaking the long pause.
The first person to speak said, “I’m Lily.” And this is Rose. Thomas almost smiled.
Rose and Lily. Names of flowers, like Helena. He adored flowers for his wife.
She had grown a vast garden at home. Is there a link there too? How long has your mother known my wife? He meant for the question to be less harsh. Before answering, Lily and Rose looked at each other.
I don’t know, sir. When my mom was really sick, she only talked about Mrs. Whitmore. She stated she had saved us before.
That she had paid for critical items when we were quite young. Thomas held on to the steering wheel fiercely. Paid for things that mattered.
Yes, Helena did have a benevolent foundation, but he knew all the important instances. He looked at the reports every three months. He had never encountered the name Laura Davies before.
How could this happen? The storm made the hospital look big and gray in front of us. Thomas parked close to the emergency door and turned off the car. No one moved for a while.
He gazed at the females again in the mirror on the back of the car. It looked like Rose was praying with her eyes closed. Lily looked at him with that scary hope.
“Okay,” Thomas said as he opened the door. Let’s go visit your mom. He didn’t know what he would find in room 312.
He didn’t know what questions to ask or what answers he wanted. He only knew that this was the first time in two years that he had felt something other than emptiness since Helena died. Thomas pondered what secrets his wife had carried to the cemetery as he strolled through the hospital’s white halls with the two girls holding onto his blanket.
The scent of death and disinfectant filled Room 312. Thomas stopped at the entrance and looked at the woman in bed.
Laura Davies was young, maybe 35, but the disease had taken away all signs of youth. Her complexion was yellow, and her eyes were sunken in. Tubes and wires connected her body to machinery that made a continual beeping sound.
When she heard footsteps, she turned her head, and when she saw her daughters, Lily and Rose, her eyes got big. Her voice was faint and cracked. The girls hurried to the bed, being careful not to touch their mother because they thought she might break.
Laura cried and tried to smile even though it hurt. Then she saw Thomas standing at the door. Her face looked really different.
Thomas couldn’t figure out what the look on her face said. It was a mix of fear, relief, and appreciation. She muttered, “Mr. Whitmore.” You came.
Thomas walked into the room and shut the door behind him. The girls came to the graveyard to find me. They said my wife promised to look after them.
He kept his speech calm and neutral. I need to know what’s going on here. Laura told her daughters to move back a little bit.
They followed orders and sat in the seats in the corner, still holding hands. The woman took a long breath, and each one felt like a fight. Five years ago, your wife saved my life.
I was at the same hospital and dying. I couldn’t pay for treatment. Helena looked like an angel and paid for everything.
Everything, from surgery to drugs. Thomas felt his blood run cold. Five years ago.
He remembered that time. Helena had begun to devote a lot of time and energy to the charity. She spent whole days outside, coming home late, tired but delighted.
He believed it was just her charity work getting bigger. He never asked about the details. What would make her do that? Thomas asked.
How did you get to know each other? Laura shut her eyes for a second. I cleaned the building where your company works. I passed out in the restroom one day.
Your wife discovered me. They took me to the hospital and found that I had advanced cancer. She didn’t leave me.
She came back every day. The tale sounded true, but Thomas had a problem with it. Helena was kind, but she was also smart.
She didn’t promise things that were impossible. And she said she would look after your daughters if you died? All of a sudden, just like that. He didn’t mean for his voice to sound so harsh.
Laura opened her eyes once more. There was something there, buried under the thanks. Maybe fear.
She said she knew how it felt to be scared to leave those you love. She told me that if something happened to me, she would take care of my girls. She made me sign several documents.
Said it was for their own good. Papers. Thomas felt the first wave of rage.
Helena had made legal plans without asking him first. She had given their money to a stranger and her daughters. How could she? He asked what kind of papers, attempting to stay cool.
Laura said she wasn’t sure. There was a lot. There were lawyers…
Your wife explained it was merely to make sure the money got to my girls if I wasn’t there. She put money into an account every month to assist them pay for things. Thomas took up a chair and sat down, his legs shaking.
A story. Deposits every month. For five years.
He was in charge of all the family’s money. How did Helena keep this from him? Where did this money come from? How much? The question sounded mean. Laura was unsure.
A thousand every month. For clothes, school, and food. She told me I could return it if I wanted to after I felt well.
But I never did. Last year, the cancer came back. The doctors now believe it may be weeks or even days.
Thomas instantly completed the math. In the last five years, sixty thousand. It wasn’t a lot of money for someone of his wealth, but it was enough to leave a mark.
Why had he never noticed those signs? He felt like he had been punched in the gut when he realized that the apparent conclusion was that someone had hidden them on purpose. Who was in charge of this account? He asked. Who gave you the money? Laura’s whole body shook when she coughed.
In the corner, Rose began to cry gently. Lily hugged her and spoke things Thomas couldn’t hear. Laura was breathless when the coughing stopped.
Finally, she said, “A man from the foundation.” Clark, Vincent. He came every month, brought the money, and inquired if we needed anything.
He was quite nice. He kept coming even after your wife died. She said it was what she would have wanted.
Clark Vincent. Thomas was extremely familiar with that name. Vincent was the financial director of the Helena Whitmore Foundation. He got the job soon after she died.
A man Thomas placed faith in to keep his wife’s memory alive. A man who, it seems, knew things that the spouse didn’t. Is he here? Thomas suddenly got up.
Has Vincent been to see you lately? Laura nodded her head weakly. Yesterday. He stated he would handle everything.
That I didn’t have to worry about my daughters. She tried to raise her hand to Thomas. Please, Mr. Whitmore.
I understand that this is a lot to ask. I know you don’t have to give me anything. But your daughters are not guilty.
They didn’t ask for any of this. Thomas gazed at the girls in the corner. Lily’s face was pressed against Rose’s shoulder, and her shoulders were shaking.
Rose’s eyes were blank as she stared at the floor. They were kids. Just scared kids who are going to lose everything.
Thomas said, more to himself than to Laura, “I’m going to find out what’s going on.” And I’ll keep your daughters safe. He didn’t plan to make a commitment, but when he saw the relief on the dying woman’s face, he knew he couldn’t go back.
Thomas went out into the hallway and left the girls with their mother. He needed fresh air and room to ponder. But most of all, he sought answers.
He pulled out his phone and called his lawyer. Daniel, I need you to look into something for me. Quietly.
Thomas walked back and forth in the empty hallway while he talked about what was going on. Daniel Moss had been his lawyer for 15 years. He was a very careful man who didn’t miss a thing. He would find any papers that had to do with Helena and Laura Davies.
I want to know about any money that has been moved in that name. Any documents that my wife signed. And Daniel, don’t tell anyone at the foundation about this.
Vincent Clark in particular. Thomas stood by the window in the hallway when he hung up. The rain had turned into a light drizzle.
People came and went from the hospital below, each with their own suffering and hope. He had always felt he knew everything about Helena. Every thought, every dream, and every secret.
He now knew that she had established a whole other life that he didn’t know about. He went back into the room. Laura was asleep, and her breathing was uneven and hard.
Lily and Rose stayed in their recliners, hugging. Thomas walked up to them. Have you eaten yet today? The girls shook their heads.
Let’s go to the cafeteria and get something. Your mom needs to take a break. Thomas got the girls sandwiches and juice from the hospital cafeteria.
They took their time eating, as if they weren’t used to eating till they were satisfied. Something inside him broke as he watched. They were just kids.
What role did Vincent Clark have in all of this? Why had he kept helping even after Helena died? Lily quickly exclaimed, “Mr. Vincent is nice,” as if she could read his mind. Whenever he came to see us, he brought candy. He said he was a friend of Mrs. Whitmore’s…
Thomas made himself smile. Did he come to see you a lot? This time, Rose answered. Every month.
He would sometimes bring paperwork for mom to sign. She was always worried about the press. Anxious.
When Vincent arrived up with papers, Laura was nervous. Thomas’s stomach turned. Do you remember what those documents said? The females gazed at one another.
Lily said, “We can’t read very well yet.” But we heard Vincent chatting to Mom. He replied that the money was only for medical emergencies.
That she couldn’t utilize it for anything else. Thomas’s phone buzzed. Daniel sent a message saying he found something.
You have to see this in person. My office in an hour. Thomas quickly entered a confirmation.
He gazed at the females once more. I have some things to take care of. Should I ask a nurse to babysit your mother, or may you stay with her? Rose answered firmly, “We’ll stay with her.”
We always do it. Thomas agreed. He gave them some additional money in case they needed anything and then left the hospital.
He called Vincent Clark on his way to Daniel’s office. I need to see you, Vincent. It’s about the base.
The voice on the other end sounded careful. Yes, Thomas. When? Thomas almost smiled.
First thing tomorrow. At the main office. He hung up before Vincent could say anything.
He didn’t want to give the man time to get ready if something was wrong. The financial district of the city has Daniel’s office. Thomas went straight to the 20th floor.
His lawyer stood there with a sad look on his face. Thomas, sit down. This is worse than I thought it would be.
He opened a folder with a lot of papers in it. I found the documents. Your wife truly did set up a fund for Laura Davies and her daughters.
But there is an issue. After she died, the papers were changed. Thomas’s blood ran cold.
How did it change? Daniel pointed to the names. See this? This is Helena’s signature on the original document, which is five years old.
She set up a $60,000 fund to pay for Laura’s medical care and the children’s basic needs until they were 18. Everything is legal and on the books. He took out another paper.
Look at this now. Vincent Clark filed an adjustment to the fund three months after Helena died. The amount went up to $500,000.
He also added an emergency guardianship clause, which would give him interim legal control over the kids if Laura died. Thomas took the papers. This is a scam.
He didn’t have permission to make those adjustments. Daniel nodded. Yes.
And there’s one more thing. I looked into the foundation’s money. Vincent stole over $2 million in the last two years.
He made up fake projects, faked approvals, and used Helena’s name to back up spending that didn’t happen. Thomas was so angry that he had to hold on to the desk to keep from falling. Vincent had stolen from his wife’s estate.
He had used a sick mom and her daughters as pawns in a bigger plan. Why the girls? Thomas asked. Why would he care about two kids who are poor? Daniel took a while before answering.
I suppose he recognized a chance. He would have interim guardianship because Laura was dying. That means they have power over the $500,000 fund.
The girls are almost orphans. No one would question a well-known director of a charity that helps poor kids. He could take money from the fund a little bit at a time, and no one would know.
Thomas shut his eyes. Vincent used Helena’s goodwill to make himself richer. He had to wait for Laura to die before he could carry out his plan.
What do we need to catch him? Daniel already knew the answer. Proof that the embezzlement happened. I have the altar documents, but we need to show that the money went directly to him.
There are bank accounts, transfers, and other things that can’t be denied. Thomas got up. Set up the appointment with Vincent for 9 a.m. tomorrow. I will make him tell the truth.
At nine o’clock sharp, Vincent Clark walked into the meeting room. Well-dressed, with a confident smile and a leather bag under his arm. He had no idea that Daniel was in the adjacent room with recording equipment or that two private detectives were waiting downstairs.
Thomas was at the head of the table with papers spread out in front of him. Vincent held out his hand and replied, “Thomas, good to see you.” Thomas didn’t shake it.
He just pointed to the chair across the table. Vincent, sit down. We need to have a conversation about the base.
Vincent’s smile faded for a moment before coming back. He sat down and gently put the briefcase next to him. Of course.
What do you wish to learn? Thomas pushed the first paper across the table. I want to learn more about Laura Davies and her girls. He saw that Vincent’s face had lost its color.
Oh. He claimed that the girls found you. It wasn’t a question.
Vincent was fully aware of what had happened. You were familiar with those kids. You went to see them once a month.
Why? Thomas’s voice was steady, even though he was gripping the edge of the table tightly. Vincent sighed, as if he were going to tell someone something really important. Your wife requested me to take care of them in case something happened to Laura.
It was one of her favorite things to do. I was just doing what she wanted. Thomas put another piece of paper ahead.
This is the fund that Helena set up first. 60,000 for basic needs and treatment. Then he slid a third piece of paper.
This is the change you made three months after she died. Five hundred thousand. With you as the emergency protector.
He bent over. Helena never gave permission for that, did she? The hush that followed was thick. Vincent stared at the papers and then at Thomas.
The facade of friendliness was breaking. You don’t get it. I was keeping her memory alive.
Those kids needed more than 60,000. Laura was going to die. Someone has to have the legal right to take care of them correctly.
Thomas said “legal authority” again, this time carefully. Or getting half a million dollars without anyone watching. He took additional papers out of the stack.
I’d like to show you something else that could interest you. The foundation has approved projects worth two million dollars in the last two years. Hope for the Future.
The New Dawn Initiative. Center for Community Support. Thomas threw each piece of paper on the table.
Do you know what they all have in common? There are no such things. Vincent got up quickly, and his chair scraped the floor. You can’t show that any of that is true.
But his voice shook. Thomas stayed seated and calm. I really can.
My lawyer kept note of every deal. You set up fake accounts that took every penny that left the charity. Accounts that eventually sent the money to offshore accounts in your name.
Daniel walked in through the entrance, followed by two men in suits. Vincent gazed back and forth between them, stuck. This is crazy.
I spent years working on the foundation. I did everything Helena asked me to do. Finally, Thomas stood up and put his hands on the table.
You stole by using my wife’s name. Worse, you used a dying mom and her daughters as part of your plan. I looked after the girls.
Vincent yelled, losing it. I brought money once a month. I paid my bills.
I did more for them than you ever did. Thomas walked around the table gently. You accomplished all of that so you could get to the fund when Laura passed away.
How much money did you plan to steal from them? Half. Everything. Vincent backed up and hit the wall.
They wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. They’re merely kids who are poor. That money is worth a lot more to me than it is to them…
He couldn’t stop them from saying the term. The confession Thomas needed, caught in exquisite detail. Daniel waved to the two men.
You can now take him into custody, gentlemen. The detectives moved on, but Vincent tried one final time. Hold on.
You don’t get it. You don’t know how good of a person Helena was. She also kept stuff from you.
She signed your name on papers that weren’t real. Thomas stopped moving. What are you talking about? Vincent laughed in a nasty way.
What do you believe that $60,000 came from? She signed your name to move money from the corporation to the Foundation. In a technical sense, it was fraud. You loved your gorgeous wife just as much as I do.
The news hit Thomas like a smack in the face. Helena had faked his signature. She had lied to aid Laura.
He was losing all the things he thought he knew about her. But then he remembered the two females who were in the hospital. Of Laura dying alone without him being there for her.
Helena went to see that woman every day, paid for her therapies, and promised to keep innocent children safe. Yes, she had broken the rules. She had kept some things from him.
But she did it out of real concern, not greed. Thomas responded calmly that the difference is that Helena did what she did to save a life. You did it to make yourself richer at the expense of orphans.
He nodded to the police. Get him out of here. Vincent was pulled out, yelling threats and reasons.
When the door shut, Thomas fell onto the chair. Daniel put a hand on his shoulder. You made the proper choice.
Thomas stared at the papers all over the table, which showed that Helena wasn’t always kind and Vincent was always cruel. He stood up and said, “I need to go to the hospital.” Laura needs to know that her girls are safe now.
Thomas thought about how he would tell the girls that the man who gave them candy was a monster and that the woman they had never met had put her life on the line to save them as he left the building. Thomas got to the hospital in the late afternoon. The hallway on the third level was quieter than it had been in the morning.
When he opened the door to room 312, he saw Lily and Rose seated next to the vacant bed. A nurse was making the bed. Thomas’s heart fell.
Where is Laura? The nurse turned around. She died two hours ago. It was calm.
She was with the girls. Lily had her hands on her face. Rose looked out the window, her eyes dry but empty.
Thomas walked up gently and knelt down between them. “I’m so sorry,” he said, and this time the words meant something. They weren’t just empty gestures.
Rose eventually turned to him. She told me to trust you. She stated you would take care of us like Mrs. Whitmore would have.
Even though she was in pain, her voice was steady. Thomas swallowed the lump that was in his throat. I’ll be careful.
I promise. Lily raised her head. Her eyes were puffy and red.
What do we do now? Thomas didn’t have an answer ready. He hadn’t thought about anything else but getting Vincent and keeping the girls’ money safe. But when he saw those two sad faces, he realized he couldn’t just send them to an orphanage or a family he didn’t know.
Helena had vowed to keep them safe. That vow was now his. He said home.
You are coming home with me. Without thinking, the words poured out. Lily and Rose were surprised to see each other.
Is that true? Rose asked. Thomas nodded his head. Really.
There is a lot of room. And I think you need someone just as much as I do. Thomas handled everything in the days that followed.
Laura’s burial took place at a cemetery close to Helena’s. Papers for temporary guardianship. The girls’ meager things were moved to his house.
Daniel worked on the legal steps needed to adopt someone permanently. Vincent was officially accused of fraud, stealing money, and making fake documents. The evidence was too strong.
The first night the girls spent in the Whitmore mansion was unusual. There were 12 bedrooms in the home, but Thomas put them in the room next to his. Lily couldn’t get to sleep.
She knocked on his door around 2 in the morning. May I ask you a question, Mr. Whitmore? Thomas was awake and staring out the window. You can call me Tom.
And certainly, you can ask. What are you doing? We are not yours. The question was fair.
Before answering, Thomas thought about it carefully. I could see something in your eyes when your mother died. What I felt when I lost Helena.
Being alone. Fear that nothing would ever make sense again. He turned to look at her.
You made me want to get out of bed in the morning. A reason to improve myself. Lily walked inside the room and sat down in the chair by the window.
My mom told me that Mrs. Whitmore had light inside her. That she made the world a better place just by being there. Thomas grinned sadly.
Helena wasn’t flawless. She messed up. Broke the rules.
But she did everything because she loved him. And now I know that being flawless doesn’t important. What important is making an effort.
Weeks stretched into months. Thomas reopened the foundation with full control from the outside. There was an audit for every project.
Every penny is tracked. The court system got back the money that Vincent had taken. Thomas was in charge of establishing new programs for families in situations like Laura’s.
Rose and Lily went to a new school. They became pals. They grinned more.
They ate dinner together at the big table that had been empty for two years at night. Rose learned how to play chess from Thomas. Lily helped him take care of the garden that Helena had adored.
The flowers had died since no one took care of them, but suddenly they were blooming anew. The three of them went to the cemetery on the anniversary of Helena’s death. The girls stood next to Thomas as he put flowers on her grave.
He muttered to the headstone, “Thank you for showing me that true love goes on even after death.” For bringing these two to me. Rose took his hand.
Do you think she’s happy? Thomas stared at the two girls. At the faces that had become more colorful and alive. At the grins that had never been there before.
I believe so. I believe she knew how much you needed me and how much I needed you. The adoption was finally finished six months later.
Rose Davies-Whitmore and Lily Davies-Whitmore. Thomas put the certificate on the wall in the living room, next to a picture of Helena. In that photo, she smiled, and for the first time since she died, Thomas felt like he could smile back without feeling bad.
It was never easy to know the truth about Helena. She had secrets, broke the law, and did things in the dark. But every choice was made out of real concern.
And in the end, her legacy wasn’t in the money or the papers. It was in two girls who suddenly had a future. In a man who had learnt how to live anew.
In a love that multiplied instead of fading. Thomas learnt that real kindness isn’t always perfect. But even if it’s not perfect, it may change everything.
