I encountered a solitary young boy at the station who requested my assistance in locating his parents.

While Rachel was at the metro station waiting for her friend Mia, she noticed a little boy who seemed lost. When she approached him, she quickly realized there was more to his situation than met the eye.

I stood on the platform at the metro station, checking my phone repeatedly. My friend Mia was always tardy, but today she was really taking her time. We had plans to hit up a thrift store to find outfits for a party coming up.

In an attempt to pass the time, I scoured my surroundings and noticed a little boy.

He couldn’t have been older than seven or eight, sitting alone on a bench. His eyes were wide, and he was clutching a worn stuffed bunny.

I never thought of myself as maternal, but something about him pulled at my heartstrings.

“Hey there,” I said as I walked over. “Are you lost? Are you waiting for someone?”

The boy looked up at me, hope and fear mingling in his eyes.

“I can’t find my parents,” he whispered. “I don’t know where to go, so I’m just sitting here.”

My heart went out to him.

“Do you want me to help you find them? We could go to the police and ask for help.”

The boy’s eyes widened in panic.

“No! Please don’t go to the police!” he exclaimed, becoming visibly anxious.

I sat down beside him, trying to soothe his nerves.

“Why not?” I asked gently. “They can help us.”

“Because the police are looking for my parents,” he said sadly. “Sometimes they have to steal food to feed me. Because of that, the police are after them. We’re not bad people… we just need help.”

I hesitated, unsure of how to navigate the delicate situation. I could understand parents breaking laws just to keep their children fed.

“Okay,” I said firmly. “No police. But let’s see if we can find them. Where might they be?”

The boy looked away, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

“They go to the park sometimes,” he said. “Can we go there? Maybe they’re there?”

“Of course,” I replied. “What’s your name, by the way?”

He smiled.

“I’m Tommy,” he said. “And you?”

“I’m Rachel, Tommy. Nice to meet you. Come on, let’s get going.”

We walked to the nearby park with Tommy holding his bunny and my hand tightly. As we wandered, his eyes lit up at the sight of a popcorn stand.

“Would you like some?” I asked, sensing his excitement.

“Yes, please!” he said, hopping from foot to foot.

I bought him a bag of popcorn.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” I said.

We probably looked like a young mother and her son out for an adventure. I wondered if this suited me. I had never seriously considered having children.

“You should think about it, Rachel,” my mother would say. “Just to know where you stand on the idea.”

“Yes, Mom,” I would reply. “I’m not against it, it’s just not a priority right now while I’m figuring out my life.”

“Alright,” Mom would say. “But it’s good to think about it.”

I wondered what she would think seeing me with Tommy.

Tommy dug into his popcorn joyfully. We wandered the park, but his parents were nowhere to be seen.

“They’re not here,” Tommy said, his face falling as tears welled up.

“Where else do they go?” I asked, holding onto hope.

“Sometimes they go to the mall to collect food scraps,” he said.

“Okay, let’s try the mall,” I said, leading him back to the metro.

“Are you sure?” Tommy asked.

At the mall, his eyes widened at the sight of the arcade.

“Wow,” he said. “I’ve never seen those before. What are they?”

Unable to resist, I gave him some tokens. He ran off to play, a huge grin on his face.

Watching him, I felt a mix of joy and sadness.

As Tommy played, I checked my phone to see if Mia had replied. Two police officers approached me.

“Excuse me, miss,” one said. “Is that little boy with you?”

“Yes,” I replied, my heart sinking. “Why do you ask? We’re looking for his parents.”

“This boy ran away from his foster family this morning,” the other officer said gently. “We need to take him back.”

Tommy noticed the officers and came over.

“Is this true, Tommy?” I asked, my heart breaking as tears filled his eyes.

He nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“I just wanted a fun day, Rachel,” he sobbed. “Like I used to have with my real parents. They died in a car accident.”

“Oh, Tommy,” I said, my voice choked with emotion. “I understand, but you can’t run away. It’s not safe.”

One officer took Tommy’s hand kindly.

“It’s alright, son,” the man said. “We’ll get you home safely.”

Tommy nodded, then looked back at me.

“Will you come see me again, Rachel?”

“Of course!” I assured him. “I’ll visit you as long as your parents are okay with it.”

And I did. I visited him every week. We went for walks, to restaurants, and back to the park and mall. Every trip was an adventure for Tommy, and a reminder of the joy children can bring.

“Hi, Rachel,” Tommy’s foster mother, Louise, greeted me one day.

“Hi,” I replied, looking for Tommy. “Is he here?”

“Yes,” she said, smiling. “He’s been waiting for you since morning. You two were going to try that new ice cream place?”

“Yes!” I said. “And I brought cake.”

Louise smiled. “I’m glad you care so much for him. But he’s not neglected, you know.”

“Of course not!” I exclaimed. “I love him, that’s all.”

Her smile widened.

“Good,” she said. “I’m glad to know that.”

As time passed, Tommy and I grew closer. Sundays became our day together.

“Thank you, Rachel,” he said one day as we ate ice cream in the park. “For everything.”

“No, thank you, Tommy,” I replied, smiling. “You’ve taught me more about kindness than you know.”

What started as a chance encounter became a beautiful friendship that changed our lives forever.

What would you have done?