Page 58 of The Christmas Door

He hesitated.

Then hunger won.

His fingers closed around the sandwich, and he took a slow bite as if savoring a moment that might not come again anytime soon.

Amayah softened her voice. “Where’s your mom, Eli?”

“She went to work,” he said, eyes down.

Luke exchanged a quiet glance with Amayah before speaking. “Where? The diner?”

Eli swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing as his fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the table. “I dunno. Just . . . a store. It’s a new job. I didn’t ask questions.”

The silence that followed felt heavier than it should.

Amayah rested her palms lightly on the table, giving him time. “How long ago did she leave?”

He shifted in his seat. “This morning. Of course.”

Luke’s brow furrowed. “And she still hasn’t come back? Do you know when her shift is over?”

Eli shook his head. “Didn’t ask.”

He tried to sound casual but didn’t succeed.

A quiet fear filled the space between them—not just for a missing mother, but for everything Eli wasn’t saying out loud.

Amayah crouched slightly so she was level with him, tone soft but unwavering. “Eli . . . has this happened before?”

He didn’t answer right away.

His eyes fixed on the table. On the sandwich. On anything but them.

Finally, he nodded once.

Just barely.

That small movement told Luke far more than words ever could.

“I checked your fridge this morning,” Amayah said, her voice soft. “There wasn’t any food.”

Color rose in his cheeks before he snapped, “We’re fine.”

“How long has your fridge been empty?” Amayah asked.

He shrugged. “It’s not empty. We have some butter. Some baking soda. I think there’s an old cucumber in there that none of us want to throw away because it’s slimy.”

Amayah saw the bravery cracking beneath Eli’s armor.

Some people helped people across the world who were hungry.

But sometimes the hungry were right next door.

CHAPTER 28

The back doorcreaked open again.

Amayah’s attention snapped toward the sound.