10. A new beginning

Samuel searched the entire estate, from the grand halls to the smallest closets, but there was no trace of Emma. Panic began to settle in as he realized that she had truly disappeared. He questioned the maids, the guards, and even the drivers, but no one had seen her since the day she was thrown out. It was as if Emma had vanished into thin air.

Days turned into weeks, and still, there was no sign of her. Samuel's guilt deepened with each passing day. He had waited too long, and now it seemed that Emma was lost to him forever. The notebook, filled with her innermost thoughts, was the only connection he had left to her.

But while Samuel was drowning in his regret, Emma was fighting to survive in a world that had shown her little kindness. The first few days after being thrown out were the hardest. With nowhere to go and no one to turn to, she wandered the streets aimlessly, hungry, cold, and utterly alone.

On the third night, as Emma huddled in a dark alleyway, trying to find some warmth from the biting wind, she was found by the owners of a small, family-run Western restaurant. The couple, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, were on their way home when they spotted her, a lone figure curled up on the ground, her face streaked with tears.

Mrs. Thompson's heart went out to the girl. She gently shook Emma's shoulder, waking her from a fitful sleep. "Are you alright, dear?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Emma blinked up at the couple, too exhausted and defeated to respond. She was prepared for them to scold her or worse, but instead, they offered her kindness.

"You look like you haven't had a decent meal in days," Mr. Thompson said. "Why don't you come with us? We own a small restaurant nearby. You can have a hot meal and a place to rest for the night."

Emma hesitated, still wary of strangers after all she had been through. But the couple's kindness was genuine, and she had little choice. With a nod, she accepted their offer, her voice barely above a whisper as she thanked them.

They led her to their cozy restaurant, where the warm, inviting aroma of home-cooked food enveloped her. For the first time in days, Emma felt a glimmer of hope. The Thompsons didn't ask many questions that night; they simply gave her a warm meal, a blanket, and a place to sleep in the small storeroom at the back of the restaurant.

The next morning, after Emma had washed up and eaten breakfast, Mrs. Thompson approached her with a gentle smile. "We could use some extra help around here if you're interested," she offered. "It's not much, but it would give you a place to stay and some money to get back on your feet."

Grateful for their kindness, Emma agreed. She started working at the restaurant as a waitress, quickly learning the ropes. It was hard work, but she didn't mind. For the first time in her life, she felt a sense of purpose. The Thompsons treated her like family, something she had never truly experienced before.

It was during one of her shifts that Emma met Shirley.

Shirley was a regular at the restaurant, known for her fiery temper and mysterious air. She was the kind of person who commanded attention the moment she walked into a room. With her sharp eyes and quick tongue, she didn't seem like the type to make friends easily. But something about Emma intrigued her.

One afternoon, as Emma was clearing tables, Shirley watched her closely. There was something different about this girl, something that made Shirley's usual defenses falter. She noticed how Emma interacted with the customers—always polite, always with a small, timid smile, despite the weight she carried in her eyes.

Shirley couldn't help but be curious. After a few days of observation, she finally approached Emma.

"Hey," Shirley said, her tone gruff as she slid into a seat at the counter. "You're new around here. What's your story?"

Emma looked up, startled by the directness of the question. She hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But something in Shirley's gaze told her that she could trust her, at least a little.

"I'm just... trying to start over," Emma replied softly, her hands nervously fidgeting with the dish towel she was holding.

Shirley raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to the story. But instead of pressing further, she simply nodded. "Fair enough. Name's Shirley, by the way."

"Emma," she responded, managing a small smile.

From that day on, an unlikely friendship began to form between the two. Shirley was rough around the edges, quick to anger and fiercely independent. But she had a soft spot for Emma, seeing in her something she rarely saw in others—a quiet strength, a resilience that went beyond the surface.

Shirley started coming to the restaurant more often, always sitting in Emma's section. They would talk in between shifts, slowly getting to know each other. Shirley became protective of Emma, almost like an older sister. She didn't pry into Emma's past, but she made it clear that she had her back.

One evening, after the restaurant had closed, Shirley and Emma sat outside on the back steps, watching the sunset.

"You know," Shirley began, her tone unusually soft, "people like us, we don't get to choose our families. But we do get to choose our friends. And as far as I'm concerned, you're one of the best I've got."

Emma smiled, feeling a warmth in her chest that she hadn't felt in a long time. "Thank you, Shirley. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Eh, don't get all sappy on me," Shirley teased, though there was a hint of affection in her voice. "But if anyone gives you trouble, you just let me know. I'll take care of them."

Emma laughed softly, grateful for the fierce loyalty Shirley had shown her. In Shirley, she had found not just a friend, but a confidant, someone who understood her in a way no one else ever had. For the first time in her life, Emma felt like she wasn't alone.

But even as Emma began to rebuild her life, the shadows of her past loomed large. She couldn't forget the family that had cast her out, or the brother who had once been her only hope. And while she tried to move forward, she knew that the day would come when she would have to confront the past she had left behind.

For now, though, Emma was content to live in the present, finding solace in her new friendships and the small moments of happiness they brought her. Little did she know, her journey was far from over, and the ties that bound her to her past would soon pull her back into a world she had tried so hard to escape.