I went to wake the girls first.I got up early every morning. I went to wake the girls first.“Emma, Lily, time to get up!” I gently called as I opened the door to their bedroom. Lily sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Good morning, Daddy,” she yawned to him.Half drowsy, Emma said, “I don’t want to get up.”I grinned. “Please, my dear. We need to prepare for daycare. I assisted them in putting on their clothes. Emma selected her pink shirt and trousers, while Lily went for her favorite dress—the one with the flowers. We all went downstairs after they were dressed. I proceeded to prepare breakfast in the kitchen. It was an easy plan: milk and oats. However, I came to a complete halt when I walked into the kitchen. Three dishes of freshly prepared pancakes with fruit and jam were there on the table.“Girls, did you see this?” Perplexed, I asked.Lily’s gaze expanded. “Whoa, pancakes! “Daddy, did you make them?” I gave a headshake. “No, I didn’t.” Perhaps Aunt Sarah made an early visit.”I grabbed my phone and dialed Sarah, my sister. “Hey, Sarah, did you come by this morning?” As soon as she picked up, I asked. “No, why?” Sarah sounded perplexed.I said, “Never mind, it’s nothing,” and hung up. All the windows and doors were locked when I checked them. No one appeared to be trying to break in.“Is it safe to eat, Daddy?” Emma questioned, her large eyes fixed on the pancakes. I chose to sample them initially. They looked good, and they were wonderful. “I believe everything is fine. “Let’s have some food,” I said.With a cheer, the girls started eating their food. Who could have made the pancakes was a constant thought in my mind. Though unusual, I choose to move on from it for the time being. My work had to be done.I dropped Emma and Lily off at daycare after breakfast. I sent them farewell kisses and said, “Have a good day, my loves.” I had trouble focusing at work. My thoughts kept returning to the unexplained pancakes. Who is the possible culprit? Why? I had another surprise waiting for me when I came home that evening. I hadn’t had time to mow the lawn, but it was well-kept.I scratched my head while standing in my yard. As I said to myself, “This is getting weird,” I gave the home another look, and nothing seemed out of place. I made up my mind to find out who was assisting me the following morning. I arose sooner than custom and concealed myself in the kitchen, skulking through a tiny opening in the door. I watched a woman enter via the window around six in the morning.She wore the uniform of an ex-postal worker. She began to wash the dishes from the previous evening while I watched. Then she took some cottage cheese out of her luggage and started preparing pancakes. My stomach gave a loud growl. Startled, the woman turned around. She dashed to the window, swiftly shutting off the gas.“Please wait; I promise not to hurt you,” I replied as I emerged from my hiding place. “I assume you prepared those pancakes? Could you please tell me the purpose of this? I am the father of the girls, so don’t be afraid of me. I would never hurt a woman, especially after all of your kindness.” She came to a halt and gently turned to look at me. Her face struck me as familiar, but I was unable to pinpoint the familiarity. “We’ve met before, haven’t we?” Confused, I asked. Before the woman could say anything, Emma and Lily’s voices from upstairs asked, “Daddy, where are you?” The mother nodded.I looked from the woman to the steps and back again. Let’s have a seat and chat. I’ll go collect my ladies. Please, I begged, don’t go. After hesitating, the woman slowly nodded. With a hushed “Okay,” she said. I felt relieved and grinned. Running upstairs, I went to grab Lily and Emma. Running upstairs, I went to grab Lily and Emma. “Come on, girls, we have a surprise guest downstairs,” I replied. Curious, they followed me down. The woman was standing by the window, appearing uncertain and about to go away, when we went into the kitchen.I whispered, “Please, don’t go.” “I just want to talk and thank you.” Lily and Emma gave her a wide-eyed stare. “Who is she, Daddy?” Asking Lily. “Let’s investigate together,” I answered. “Please, sit down,” I said, turning to face the woman. Would you want some coffee? After hesitating, she slowly nodded. She spoke a quiet “Okay,”. Everybody took a seat at the kitchen table. I introduced myself as Jack and said, “These are my daughters, Emma and Lily.” We need your help, and I want to know why. The female inhaled deeply. “I’m Claire,” she said at the outset. “Two months ago, you helped me when I was in a very bad place.”I scowled as I tried to remember. Assisted you? How?” “I was lying by the road, weak and desperate,” she went on. You paused while everyone else went by. I visited a charity hospital with you. I was in danger of dying from acute dehydration. You had left when I woke up, but I managed to get the parking guard to give me your car’s number. I choose to express my gratitude after learning your residence.” It finally occurred to me. “Now that I think back, I remember. You were in appalling condition. I was unable to abandon you there.” Claire nodded, tears in her eyes. “I was saved by your charity. After deceiving me and bringing me to America from Britain, my ex-husband grabbed everything and abandoned me on the streets. I have no one to turn to and nothing.”With worried expressions on their tiny faces, Emma and Lily listened carefully. Emma murmured, her voice hardly audible, “That’s so sad.” “But why are you here?” Perplexed, I asked. “Your help gave me the strength to keep going,” Claire clarified. I went to the embassy and related my experience to them. They assisted me in obtaining fresh paperwork and put me in touch with an attorney to defend my son. I was employed by the Postal Service. But I wanted to pay you back, to express my appreciation. I made the decision to assist you with little things as I could tell you were exhausted every day when you got home.” Her tale struck a chord with me. “Claire, thank you for your efforts, but you cannot simply break into our house. It terrified me since it’s not safe.”She gave an embarrassed nod. “I truly apologize. It wasn’t my intention to scare you. I only desired to assist.” Emma extended her hand to touch Claire’s. “I appreciate you preparing pancakes. They were delicious. With tears in her eyes, Claire grinned. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.” I inhaled deeply while experiencing a mixture of relaxation, inquisitiveness, and empathy. “Let’s approach this differently, Claire. Please stop entering covertly. Would you mind occasionally joining us for breakfast? We can learn more about one another.” A optimistic smile lit up her face. “Jack, it would be nice. I’m grateful. She made the pancakes, and we ate them together for the remainder of the morning. Claire spoke on her son’s story and her intentions to get back together with him. I was struck by how strong and determined she was.I had a feeling of fresh starts as we were finishing our meal. Claire’s appreciation and our shared support forged a connection. Since she had managed to return the favor, I felt compelled to assist her in getting back in touch with her son. She seemed to be loved by Emma and Lily already, and I had optimism for the future. “This could be the start of something good for all of us,” I believed. Together, we cleaned up. “Thank you for sharing your story, Claire,” I remarked. “Let’s help each other from now on.” Grinning, she gave a nod. “Jack, it would be extremely nice. I’m grateful.And so, with optimism and encouragement from one another, a new chapter for each of our families began.