This particular party was raising money for children’s hospitals. Abigail wore a dress that was absolutely stunning.
It was custom-made, which means someone spent six whole months making it just for her.
The dress was deep blue like the ocean and covered with tiny crystals that sparkled when she moved.
There was only one dress like it in the entire world and it cost more money than some people make in a whole year.
When Abigail’s shiny black car pulled up to the hotel, reporters and photographers were everywhere.
Flash, flash, flash went their cameras. They shouted her name, “Miss Carter, over here. Abigail, tell us about your dress.
Can you smile for the camera?” Abigail was used to this attention. She smiled her perfect smile and waved.
Her security team surrounded her, big strong men in black suits with earpieces, making sure nobody got too close.
But as Abigail walked toward the hotel entrance, something she didn’t know was happening. Across the street, sitting in the shadows, someone was watching.
Someone who would change her life in the next few minutes. Someone she would never have noticed in a million years.
And that someone was Marcus Reed. Reed sat on a piece of old cardboard in a dark corner across from the Grand Marquis Hotel.
He was 32 years old, but if you looked at him, you might think he was older.
His face had wrinkles from worry and from sleeping outside in the sun and cold.
His clothes were dirty and worn out. His hair needed cutting. His shoes had holes in them.
Marcus was homeless. That means he didn’t have a home to live in. He slept outside on the streets.
But Marcus wasn’t always homeless. Three years ago, his life was completely different. Back then, Marcus was a college student studying to be an engineer.
Engineers are people who design and build things like bridges, computers, and machines. Marcus loved learning.
He loved solving problems. He had a bright future ahead of him. Marcus also had a family he loved very much.
He had a mom who made the best apple pie. He had a dad who taught him how to fix cars.
And he had a little sister named Emma who was 8 years old and loved to draw pictures of animals.
They were happy. They were a normal family. Then one rainy Tuesday afternoon, everything changed forever.
Marcus’s family was driving on the highway coming home from visiting his grandmother. A truck driver on the same highway had been working for too many hours.
He was very, very tired. So tired that he fell asleep while driving his huge truck.
