Morning came softly.
May stirred when warm sunlight brushed against her face. For a moment, she forgot everything the running, the fear, the past. Then the gentle rocking of the bus reminded her.
She opened her eyes.
London.
The city appeared before her through the window, tall buildings stretching into the sky, streets already alive with movement. Her lips curved into a smile she couldn't stop, no matter how hard she tried.
I really made it, she thought. I'm free.
She hugged her bag closer, her heart swelling with a mixture of excitement and fear. She had no plan, no phone, and nowhere to go—but for the first time in her life, she also had no one controlling her.
"First time in London?"
The voice startled her.
She turned to the man seated beside her, his expression open and curious, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Is it that obvious?" she asked, suddenly self-conscious.
He chuckled. "Only because you've been smiling since we arrived."
Her cheeks warmed. She looked away briefly, then back at him. "I didn't even realize."
"Well," he said gently, "don't stop. It suits you."
Her heart skipped.
No one had ever said something like that to her before.
"I… I look okay when I smile?" she asked quietly, the words slipping out before she could stop herself.
The man looked genuinely surprised. "Okay? You're beautiful."
May froze.
Beautiful.
The word felt strange, unfamiliar like it didn't belong to her.
"Oh," she murmured. "No one's ever told me that."
For a split second, something unreadable crossed his face.
"That's hard to believe," he said. "I'm William, by the way."
"May," she replied, then hesitated. "Just… May."
"Nice to meet you, May," he said, and hearing her name from his lips made her feel oddly warm.
They talked for a while about nothing important and everything at the same time. Time slipped by unnoticed, and for once, May didn't feel invisible.
"So," William said eventually, glancing at her bag, "where are you heading?"
She swallowed. "Honestly… I don't know."
He frowned slightly. "No place to stay?"
She shook her head.
"No phone?"
Another shake.
"No family in London?"
Silence.
William studied her for a moment longer than necessary. Then he sighed softly, as if he'd already made up his mind.
"Come with me," he said.
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"I have a place," he explained. "You can stay there until you figure things out."
She hesitated. Every instinct told her to be careful—but something about him felt safe. Kind.
"…Okay," she said finally. "Thank you."
She didn't know it yet, but that simple decision was about to change her life forever.