I Walked My Neighbor’s Daughter to School Every Morning — Until One Morning, a Man Who Looked Just Like Her Showed Up With a Deal That Changed Everything

Why I Was Terrified to Say Yes

I wanted to scream at him.

I wanted to grab Marissa and slam the door.

But fear hit first.

I was 58.

Too old, I told myself.

What if I failed her?

What if something happened to me and she ended up on another porch one day, begging another stranger not to leave?

Then I looked at her — school uniform, tears, shaking hands clinging to my shirt like I was the only solid thing in her world.

I thought about every morning I’d promised her I wouldn’t leave.

And I realized something brutal:

If I said no, I would become another person who walked away.

So I said the words that changed both of our lives:

“I’ll take her.”

Read more on the next page ⬇️⬇️⬇️