Chapter 1

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[SPREAD 1]

Morning came soft and gold. Soraya opened her eyes and whispered, "Today I will leave little gifts." Nobody heard her. That was the point.

[SPREAD 2]

Grandmother said, "God sees the heart, my love." Soraya tucked those words into her pocket like a seed. A little gift, she thought, is a light no one has to see.

[SPREAD 3]

She pushed her chair in softly. She did not say, "Look." The chair just waited, straight and kind, for whoever would sit next.

[SPREAD 4]

On the stairs, a red mitten lay lonely. Soraya picked it up and set it on the railing, bright as a small flame, where hands could find it again.

[SPREAD 5]

At the bus stop, a woman looked tired. Soraya smiled — just a little smile, like sunlight through a curtain. The woman's shoulders softened.

[SPREAD 6]

In the park, a sparrow hopped on thin brown legs. Soraya shook crumbs from her pocket, quiet as falling snow. The sparrow ate, and sang, and flew.

[SPREAD 7]

A paper tumbled past like a lost thought. Soraya caught it. She walked it to the bin. The grass looked greener where the paper had been.

[SPREAD 8]

A book had slipped from its shelf. Soraya stood on tiptoes and slid it home. The book seemed to sigh, the way tired things do when they rest.

[SPREAD 9]

She held a door for a man with a cane. He did not say thank you. She did not mind. The door had done its job, and so had she.

[SPREAD 10]

A boy was crying by the fountain. Soraya picked a small yellow flower and set it beside him. Then she walked on, so he could find it alone.

[SPREAD 11]

Back home, the plant was thirsty. Soraya poured water, slow and careful. Little leaves lifted, drinking in silence.

[SPREAD 12]

She folded the blanket. She patted the cushion smooth. The room breathed out, tidy and warm.

[SPREAD 13]

Grandmother set two bowls of soup on the table. "You look full of something good today," she said. Soraya only smiled.

[SPREAD 14]

Grandmother braided her hair in the lamplight. "Did anyone see your gifts today?" she asked. "No," said Soraya. "That was the best part."

[SPREAD 15]

Grandmother kissed her forehead. "The heart is God's home," she whispered. Soraya closed her eyes, and the whole day glowed inside her like a candle.

[SPREAD 16]

Outside, the stars came out, one by one by one. Somewhere, a mitten was warm. A sparrow slept. A flower waited on a bench. And God saw every one.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE TO PARENTS