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Which was exactly why she needed to write this story.
Everyone deserved to be seen. Each life was valuable.
And everyone deserved clean water.
“I’m doing this for Dom.” Naya lifted her chin. “For those who don’t have a voice. Who’ve been tossed aside. To show others their story matters. To show people what I can do.” She patted a hand on her chest.
Zack smiled. “You have something to give people that extends far beyond the words you write.”
“I do?”
“Empathy. The Lord has given you a gift to care for others in their distress. It’s why you tell their stories, and that’s why what you do is so impactful. Because itmeanssomething to people.”
Naya couldn’t help the wide smile that spread across her face. “Thanks.”
The words he spoke were a balm to her heart like she hadn’t experienced since her father used to pull her and her brother onto his lap and read to them.
“I get it.” Zack studied her with a soft expression. “I know why you do what you do.”
Could she say the same about him?
Zack snapped on a pair of gloves. He gave her a glove for her good hand, then extended his hand to the open land in front of them. “Shall we?”
Naya took his hand and stood.
They spent the next hour combing the landscape in search of anything that would tip them off as to who had been at the site when Naya was attacked.
They’d covered at least a quarter of a mile. Naya waded deeper into the shrubs, where several of the leaves were now brown. Branches fell to the ground with a gentle brush of her hand thanks to the fire that had swept across the area. Officials were still trying to figure out how the fire had started.
She wasn’t exactly sure what she was looking for right now. She focused on what was around her but never strayed far from Zack. Still, she didn’t want to completely lean on the comfort of his presence.
It wasn’t like it would turn into a relationship when every single one she’d had turned bad.
“Check this out.” Zack waved his hand, bent down and pointed to a brown rectangular bag similar to burlap.
“What is it?”
“A sandbag.”
“Don’t you use those for stopping a fire from spreading?” Naya recalled something about the tactic from a TV show. “Or protecting against flood water.”
“Yeah, but not this kind.” Zack hefted the bag in the air. “It doesn’t have the same feel as sand. Much lighter.”
“Interesting.” Naya snapped a few shots of the bag.
Something glinted in the reflection from her phone screen. “What’s this?”
She picked up the silver circle and turned it over in her hand. The front was shaped like a globe of the earth with a heart in the corner.
“Looks like someone’s keychain.” She held it in the air for Zack.
“That’s quite the design.” Zack squinted.
“I feel like I should recognize this, but I don’t know why.”
“Do you think someone from the Green Warriors group has one?” Zack lifted his brow. “Maybe the heart and the earth are an eco thing.”
“I think you’re on to something. But would they set fire to this area when it could harm the wildlife and destroy the trees?” Naya shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense.”