“Stay close, okay?” she instructed, looking back with a grin. “The guards don’t like it when street kids wander too near.”

Michael nodded, a strange sense of camaraderie forming between them. In the labyrinth of streets, he found himself at ease, even as the rain persisted. He felt lighter, as though each step washed away some of the grief that had enveloped him.

Eventually, they emerged onto Fifth Avenue again, closer to the imposing tower of Northstar Financial. Michael paused, the weight of his responsibilities looming before him once more.

“You’re here,” Julie announced with a dramatic sweep of her hand. “See, I told you it was quicker!”

“Thank you, Julie,” he said, genuinely grateful. “You didn’t have to help me, but you did.”

She shrugged for the third time, this time with a touch of playfulness. “You looked like you needed a friend,” she said simply.

He smiled, a real one that reached his eyes. “I did. And you’ve been a great one.”

Julie’s face brightened, the rain unable to diminish her spirit. “Maybe you’ll find your saudade too, mister,” she said, and with that, she turned to leave, already disappearing back into the city’s veins.

Michael watched her go, a lump forming in his throat.

As he entered the building, no longer caring if he was late, he felt changed. The meeting—his legacy—they suddenly seemed small compared to the child who