The Lost and Found
Prologue
The rain was pouring down from the sky like pellets. The road was quiet except for the raindrops pounding on the cement. A man was running down the street with a bundle in his arms. His feet were splashing against the pavement, soaking the hem of his jeans. He continued running even after many trips and slips. His breathing became rigid and his pulse increased.
He had no idea where he was going as long as he got somewhere. The unknown man skidded to a stop in front of an orphanage. He walked up the steps and looked at the bundle in his arms. He moved the blanket to reveal a sleeping baby's face. The man leaned his face down and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Goodbye, Love. I love you." He gently placed his daughter, Love, on the doormat. Then he knocked loudly on the huge wooden door and ran to the side of the building, out of view.
A woman opened the door wearing a purple robe and fluffy slippers. She looked around for the source of the knock. She finally averted her eyes to the baby girl lying asleep with a letter in her hand on the cold front porch. The lady gasped and picked Love up and returned inside.
The man came back out of the shadows and stared at the spot where his daughter just laid. He knew he had to do it. There was no way he could care for her the way she should be cared for. He could hardly fend for himself. The man still loves his daughter and he hopes she knows that when she is older.
He put his cold, numb hands in his pockets of his worn leather jacket and started walking away from the orphanage and his daughter's life.
