Elena stood near the bright glass entrance of the Sterling Tower.
The bitter winter wind cut through her thin blue coat like a sharp knife.
She wrapped her arms tightly around her small baby boy to keep him warm.
Her five-year-old daughter Maya pulled gently on her dirty skirt.
They had nowhere left to go after losing their tiny apartment that morning.
The city streets were filled with busy people who completely ignored them.
Elena looked through the glass doors into the warm lobby of the massive building.
The polished marble floors shined bright under expensive crystal chandeliers.
She took a deep breath and stepped inside just to escape the freezing wind.
The warm air felt like a gentle hug against her frozen skin.
She walked toward a quiet corner near a large potted green plant.
Maya rested her heavy head against Elena's side with a soft sigh.
The baby drifted off to sleep under the worn wool blanket.
Elena thought they could sit quietly for just a few minutes to get warm.
She did not want to cause any trouble for the busy office workers.
She just needed to think about where they would sleep that night.
Her bank account was completely empty after paying off old hospital bills.
Her late husband had passed away six months ago after a long battle with illness.
Since that sad day, Elena had fought every single afternoon to survive.
She looked around the luxury space with a heavy weight on her chest.
A man wearing a black vest suddenly walked out from behind the front desk.
His face was red and his lips were pulled back in a sharp scowl.
He marched directly toward Elena with fast and heavy footsteps.
Elena felt her heart drop straight into her stomach.
She held her children a little closer as the man stopped right in front of them.