Chapter 15

The thought startled him; immediately he pushed it away. He wasn't ready for that—not yet. But the question remained.Later that afternoon, Ethan asked Robert to take him back to St. Matthew's Church: not the park, the church.Robert looked surprised. "You want to volunteer?"Ethan laughed. "I think they'd fire me after five minutes."Robert smiled. "Fair point."When they arrived, the church parking lot buzzed with activity: families lined up near the community kitchen, volunteers carried food trays, and children ran through puddles left behind by yesterday's rain. The entire place felt alive, messy, real—very different from Ethan's carefully controlled world.Robert pushed the wheelchair toward the rear of the building. The smell hit Ethan first: fresh bread, soup, coffee—something warm, something comforting. For a moment, he simply watched: people helping people. No contracts, no stock prices, no board meetings—just kindness.Then he spotted Maya. She stood near a folding table organizing canned food. Her oversized coat hung from her shoulders, her sleeves were rolled up, and she looked completely focused until she saw him. Then her entire face brightened."You came back."Ethan smiled. "Looks like I did."Maya nodded as if she had expected that outcome. "Good."The confidence amused him. "Good?""Yes.""Why?""Because we have work to do."Ethan laughed. "We do?"Maya pointed toward a quiet area behind the church. Near a brick wall sat an old wooden bench; the area was mostly hidden from the parking lot."What kind of work?"She looked at him like the answer was obvious: "Standing."Ethan stared, then laughed again, this time longer. Maya didn't laugh; she was completely serious."You can't be serious.""I am.""Maya..."

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