It
was
a
cold
day
in
the
down
-
at
-
heel
town
,
where
the
wind
blew
through
the
streets
and
the
people
clutched
their
coats
tightly
around
themselves
.
But
for
Jenny
and
David
,
it
was
a
special
day
,
and
they
were
determined
to
enjoy
it
.
They
had
been
dating
for
a
few
months
now
,
and
their
relationship
was
filled
with
tenderness
and
affection
.
As
they
walked
through
the
town
,
Jenny
noticed
a
small
cafe
that
she
had
never
seen
before
.
"
Let's
go
in
there
,
"
she
said
,
pointing
to
the
cozy
-
looking
establishment
.
"
I
hear
they
have
a
treat
on
the
menu
today
.
"
David
smiled
and
nodded
,
eager
to
please
his
girlfriend
.
They
entered
the
cafe
and
settled
into
a
pair
of
chairs
by
the
window
.
The
special
treat
turned
out
to
be
a
warm
apple
pie
with
a
dollop
of
whipped
cream
on
top
,
and
it
was
delicious
.
As
they
enjoyed
their
dessert
and
each
other's
company
,
they
talked
about
their
hopes
and
dreams
for
the
future
.
But
as
they
left
the
cafe
,
they
noticed
that
the
town
was
looking
even
more
-
at
-
heel
than
usual
.
People
were
tightening
their
and
trying
to
make
ends
meet
,
and
there
was
a
sense
of
unease
in
the
air
.
David
felt
grateful
for
what
he
had
,
and
realized
that
he
had
been
taking
his
comfortable
life
for
.
As
they
walked
,
they
gave
a
wide
berth
to
a
group
of
rowdy
teenagers
with
navels
and
tattoos
,
who
were
known
to
be
troublemakers
.
But
they
were
as
deaf
as
a
post
to
the
warnings
of
the
townspeople
,
and
continued
to
cause
chaos
wherever
they
went
.
Eventually
,
Jenny
and
David
arrived
at
the
courthouse
,
where
they
were
there
to
discuss
the
of
David's
younger
brother
.
They
had
been
with
the
legal
process
for
weeks
,
but
were
determined
to
do
what
was
best
for
the
boy
.
As
they
sat
in
the
waiting
room
,
they
overheard
a
lawyer
using
words
to
twist
the
truth
and
manipulate
the
situation
.
But
they
remained
as
as
a
clenched
fist
,
knowing
that
they
had
to
remain
calm
and
focused
.
Finally
,
after
a
disclosure
of
facts
and
evidence
,
the
judge
granted
David
custody
of
his
brother
.
It
was
a
huge
relief
,
and
they
left
the
courthouse
with
a
sense
of
accomplishment
and
relief
.
As
they
walked
back
through
the
town
,
they
held
hands
and
felt
a
renewed
sense
of
hope
.
They
knew
that
their
relationship
would
face
challenges
in
the
future
,
but
they
were
ready
for
them
.
They
looked
ahead
to
a
brighter
future
,
with
the
wind
at
their
backs
and
their
fingers
intertwined
.
Crear