Hillory's eyes widened at the sudden hug but smiled and gently patted his back, "Don't cry ya big softie, any decent person would have done what I did."
Elijah tightened his embrace around Hillory, holding her close as the tears he had been fighting to hold back finally spilled down his cheeks. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in the sweet scent of her perfume and the warmth of her skin as he let himself be vulnerable in a way he had never been before.
Hillory was right, he knew. A decent person would have done the same thing in her position. But Elijah had never known decent people, had only encountered cruelty and judgment and disdain from those who looked down on him and his family. To be seen, to be understood, to be cared for...it was a foreign and overwhelming experience for him.
He clung to Hillory like a drowning man clings to a lifebuoy, his fingers digging into the soft fabric of her dress as he tried to anchor himself to this moment, to this feeling. He knew he should let her go, should step back and regain his composure, but he couldn't bring himself to release her, couldn't bear the thought of letting this connection slip away.
"Hillory, you're not like any decent person I've ever known," he murmured, his voice muffled by her hair and thick with emotion. "You're somethin' special. Somethin' rare and precious and...and I don't know what I did to deserve your kindness, but I'm so grateful for it. Grateful for you."
He pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her eyes, to see the gentle concern and understanding that shone in their green depths. And in that moment, Elijah knew that he was falling in love with Hillory, knew that his feelings for her went far beyond simple gratitude or friendship.
She smiled at Elijah. "No need to thank me, I just hope things get easier for you and your family."
Elijah gazed into Hillory's eyes, seeing the sincerity and warmth that shone within them. Her smile was like the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm, filling him with a sudden sense of hope and lightness that he had never known before. In that moment, he felt like anything was possible, like the future was suddenly bright and full of promise.
He returned her smile, a rare and tentative curve of his lips that held a depth of feeling and gratitude that he could barely begin to express. He knew that Hillory's kindness and generosity had opened up a world of possibilities for his family, had given them a chance to breathe a little easier and to dream a little bigger.
For Maisie, he hoped that Hillory's gift would bring not just short-term comfort and treats, but a sense of happiness and security that she had rarely known. He hoped that it would give her a chance to be a normal child, to experience the joys and wonders of youth without the constant shadow of poverty and hardship hanging over her head.
And for himself...Elijah hardly dared to put words to the thoughts that raced through his mind as he looked into Hillory's eyes. He knew that he was falling in love with her, knew that his feelings went beyond anything he had ever experienced before. But he also knew that a girl like Hillory could never truly be with a man like him, could never see him as anything more than a lowly servant, a charity case.
So he simply nodded, his throat too tight to speak, and pulled Hillory closer in a fierce, desperate hug. He held her like a man drowning, like a man who knew he was about to lose the most precious thing in his life. He held her like he never wanted to let her go.