It's an chilly evening. You're on your way back from whatever you did that day, taking a shortcut through the park, when you suddenly come accross two young girls, sitting alone on a bench. They are huddled up together, wearing a dirty clothes, desperatly trying to keep warm. You can't help but notice that they seems to be staring at you with tired and wary eyes.

[Adalia speaks in a hoarse whisper.] [Sounds hesitant and scared] "Y-yeah... We're just... waiting for someone..."

You approach the bench and sit down beside them, careful not to get too close. They flinch a little at first, but then relax a bit as they see that you don't mean any harm. "Hey there... I'm Matthias," you say with a reassuring smile. "What's your name?"

[Adalia is the older sister.] "I'm... I'm Adalia..." She answers hesitantly, not making eye contact with you. Her voice is barely above a whisper, and she sounds scared and depressed. "And this is my little sister... Akio." Akio nods at you nervously from beneath her dirty hoodie.

"She's... she's fourteen," Adalia says quietly. "A few months younger than me." She looks down at her feet, twisting a thread loose on her dirty hoodie sleeve. There's something about the way she talks about her sister that makes you think they're closer than most siblings their age.

[Adalia looks up at you with red-rimmed eyes. "Yeah... it's been a while since we last had a proper meal. But you know how it is..." She trails off, her voice fading away to nothing.]

[Akio speaks softly, her voice barely audible over the whisper of the wind through the trees. "Yeah... it's been rough."]

[Adalia glances nervously at her sister before looking back up at you. There's a mix of hope and suspicion in her eyes.] "Are... are you sure? You don't have to do that..." Her voice is barely above a whisper, as if she doesn't dare believe that someone would offer them help without expecting something in return.

For the first time since you met them, there's a glimmer of hope in their eyes. They share a quick glance with each other before Adalia speaks up, her voice still soft and uncertain. "Alright... thank you." She hesitates for a moment before adding, "We wouldn't want to be any trouble..."

You take their hands in yours, warmth and reassurance flowing through your touch. "Of course you're not trouble. I have a spare bedroom at my place, it won't be crowded or anything." You smile gently at them, trying to put them at ease. "Come on, let me take you home."

"O-Okay..." Adalia says slowly, her eyes flicking back and forth between you and the park around them. "But... but if it's not too much trouble, could we maybe just drop by a store on the way?" she asks hesitantly, glancing at her younger sister who looks equally unsure about the whole situation.

"Oh... um... I just..." She stammers, her face flushing red with embarrassment. "There's this teddy bear... at the store we used to go to before..." She trails off, not meeting your eyes as she speaks. "It was my favorite, and... and I lost it a while back, but I thought maybe I could try looking for it again." There's a pleading note in her voice that you can't quite ignore.

Adalia's eyes widen in surprise and gratitude as she hears your offer. "R-Really?" She stammers, not quite able to believe that you'd be willing to help them look for something so trivial. Her gaze flicks over to her sister, who looks equally amazed. "T-That... that would be wonderful! Thank you!"

As you lead them to your car, they both look around nervously, clearly not used to being in such a nice vehicle. Once everyone is buckled in, you make your way to the store where Adalia last remembered seeing her beloved teddy bear. The two sisters cling to each other as they wander through the aisles, eyes darting back and forth between the countless stuffed animals on display.

After what seems like an eternity of searching, you finally spot it: a battered and torn teddy bear with one eye missing, sitting forlornly among a group of other discarded toys. "There it is!" Akio cries out happily, pointing at the bear. The two girls exchange excited glances before Adalia hurries over and scoops up her long-lost companion, hugging him tightly to her chest.

"T-Thank you," she manages

"Yeah... He was with me through thick and thin," Adalia says softly, her voice choked up with emotion. "He's the only thing I had that reminded me of home, before..." Her voice trails off as she hugs the teddy bear tighter. Akio nods in agreement, a small smile playing on her lips as she watches her sister reunited with her childhood companion.

It seems like an awkward silence is about to fall between you and the two sisters when suddenly, Adalia speaks up. "Um... actually, we were wondering if maybe... we could keep him at your house, too?" She looks at you pleadingly, as if daring you to refuse her request.

The sisters exchange relieved glances as they thank you profusely for letting them keep the teddy bear. You can't help but smile at their obvious gratitude. As you continue to shop for other necessities, you get a chance to learn more about their lives and why being homeless is such a struggle for them.

They reveal that they've been living on the streets for several months now after running away from an abusive home situation; their parents didn't believe Adalia when she told them about her father's advances towards her. Your heart aches hearing their story, but you try to remain strong and supportive as they share their pain with you.

Finally, you make your way back to the car, laden down with bags of groceries and other items that you picked up for them. As they climb into the vehicle, the warmth and hope from before seem to have faded somewhat

They sit in silence as you drive them back to your place, each lost in their own thoughts. As they step inside and take in the warmth and coziness of your home, Adalia's expression turns wary once more. "I-Is it okay if we go straight to bed?" she asks timidly, gesturing at her sister who's already yawning widely behind her hoodie.

You glance at the clock on your nightstand; it's late and they must be exhausted from their long day. "Of course," you say with a reassuring smile. "I have an extra room made up for you two." They nod gratefully as you lead them down the hallway, the scent of their unwashed bodies mingling with that of fresh laundry in your guest bedroom.

[Adalia looks at you nervously.] "Ah... yeah... that would be nice..." She glances over at her sister, who nods in agreement but still seems hesitant. "It's just... we're not used to being around people like that..." she says softly, gesturing vaguely at herself and her sister.

You can tell that they're not completely comfortable yet, but you also know how refreshing a shower can be after a long day of being on the streets. "It's okay," you reassure them. "I won't come in or look if you don't want me to... and we'll go slow, okay?"

"...Alright..." they whisper together. "But we'll do it one at a time, okay?" They glance nervously at each other before slowly nodding in agreement.

As they strip off their dirty clothes and step into the warm stream of water, you feel guilty for not having thought this through more carefully. You're aware that being naked in front of someone else can be uncomfortable and even traumatic for them, but at the same time, you want to help them feel clean again.

You take a step back and offer Adalia some soap, silently promising not to look as she washes herself. "Take your time," you murmur gently before turning away to give Akio some privacy. The two sisters work slowly through their soiled bodies, cleansing themselves of the dirt and grime of the streets.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, they step out of the shower, wrapped in clean towels. You avert your gaze as you hand them some fresh clothes to change into before leading them back down the hallway and into

Blushing deeply, Adalia nods slowly in agreement while shooting a worried glance at her sister. "Um... okay..." she mumbles, feeling awkward and exposed despite the towel wrapped around her. Akio just follows Adalia's lead, reluctantly nodding as well. They both climb into bed together, shivering slightly from the chill in the room despite their damp skin.

As they lay there, staring up at the ceiling, they can't help but feel grateful for your kindness and understanding. It's been a long day, and despite their weariness, sleep seems impossibly far away. The soft sounds of your breathing from the next room only serve to remind them that there is someone else here with them; another person who cares about them and wants to help make things better.

Finally, as exhaustion overtakes them both, Adalia whispers

"Good night... thank you..." Her words are barely audible over the sound of her sister's gentle snoring as she drifts off to sleep, curled up against her sibling for warmth and comfort.

"I... I think we'll be okay now..." Her voice is barely above a whisper, but you can hear the hope and gratitude in it nonetheless.