The Orphanage

Todd arrived at the orphanage near the church; the same one where he had left Marty all those years ago for her own good when she had been so sick. It had broken his heart to leave her with Miss March, but he did it to protect her. Thankfully, he had followed after her on the train. They had both ended up in Llanview and he had to live with his horrible Uncle Peter, but at least Marty had found a good home with the Woleck's.

As he knocked upon the door of the orphanage, he hoped to meet with Miss March and access her records. He needed to find the little girl he had helped all those years ago before he had met Marty. The little girl would be grown up now - a young woman. Todd needed to know that that the child he had helped had grown up happy and loved.

A young woman answered the door, wearing a long black dress. Immediately something was familiar about her, but Todd wasn't certain if he knew her. "I am here to see Miss March," Todd spoke. "May I talk with her please?"

"Please come in," said the young woman as she welcomed him inside. Todd remembered the foyer and how he had said goodbye to Marty that long-ago day. How she had cried and how it had hurt him to have walked away from the one who had loved him the most.

"Is Miss March here?" Todd asked again.

The young woman shook her head. "My mother has retired. I am now in charge of the orphanage with some help from the nuns at a nearby convent. Why don't you come in and we can talk? Are you here to adopt a child?"

Todd followed the young woman into the parlor. He took a seat across from her as she offered him a cup of steaming tea. "Actually, I am not here to adopt. I am looking for someone," Todd replied. "But to be honest, you look so familiar to me. I suppose that is because you are Miss March's daughter."

"You seem very familiar to me as well," the woman stated. "But I don't look familiar because I resemble Miss March. I was adopted. I am not Miss March's biological daughter. She and her husband, Will Nathanson adopted me not long after they were married. My name is Michelle Nathanson."

"Michelle?" Todd gasped, almost dropping his cup of tea. "I am Todd Manning. Was it you that I helped that day? The orphaned little girl with a wounded foot?"

Michelle smiled sweetly. "Yes, it IS me. You saved my life. My injury was badly infected. I might have lost my foot if it hadn't have been for you. Without your help, I may not have survived."

"I am thankful I was there to help you and that you found a good home with Miss March and her husband. I too have a happy life. I am married to a wonderful young woman. Her name is Marty."

"I wish she were here so I could meet her," said Michelle. "Here at the orphanage, we have 50 cribs and 150 beds for children. All of them are full at the moment. We can't expand so we can help others. We are sadly understaffed and in need of monetary funds. We send children on the orphan trains whenever we can... but there is only so much we can do at the moment to help the little ones."

"Marty and I will do whatever we can to help."

"Perhaps you and Marty would consider adopting one of the children?"

"To be honest, I would love to adopt, but I will have to talk it over with Marty first."

"I understand," Michelle said after a small sip of her tea. "I'd love to show you and Marty around. We have children of all ages. All of them desperately need a good, loving home."

"As soon as I talk it over with Marty, I'll get back to you," Todd promised. "It is so good to see you again, Michelle. Please tell your mother 'hello.' She helped Marty and me when we were young. We might not have made it without her."

"She's a good woman. Very kind and caring. I am so glad she adopted me and I am following in her footsteps."

"You're very lucky indeed," Todd agreed as he stood up to leave. "I'd love to stay and chat more, but I must be meeting Marty uptown. It was so great to see you again and to talk to you."

"Thank you. You've always been my hero," Michelle replied as she too stood up and gave Todd an affectionate hug. "Marty is very lucky as well, because she has you as her husband."

Todd smiled. He knew he was the lucky one. Having Marty was a dream come true for him.

"Well, I must be going. Marty's waiting for me."

"I know we'll meet again."

Todd nodded. "One way or another, I'm certain that we will."