For weeks, a faded red van sat silently across from Catherine’s house in Willow Brook. As a single mother of twin teenage daughters, she was used to ignoring the oddities of suburban life. But this van was different—unmoving, tinted, and eerily quiet. It became a fixture in her daily routine, a shadow she couldn’t shake.
Catherine had built her life from scratch, clawing her way out of hardship to give her daughters a stable home. So when she heard the unmistakable sound of a baby crying from inside the van one sleepless night, her instincts flared. It wasn’t just curiosity—it was a call to the part of her that had once been lost and vulnerable.
She approached the van cautiously, heart pounding. Inside, she discovered a young woman—frightened, exhausted, and clutching a newborn. The woman had been living in the van, hiding from an abusive partner, too afraid to ask for help. Catherine didn’t hesitate. She brought them inside, fed them, and gave them a place to rest.
In that moment, the van wasn’t just a mystery—it was a mirror. Catherine saw herself in the woman’s eyes: the fear, the resilience, the desperate hope. And just like someone had once helped her, she chose to be that lifeline now.
