The Album In The Attic
After his father Paul’s death, the narrator finds an album of distressed girls he doesn’t recognize.
A letter says, “Ask Marie. She’ll explain.” Marie reveals that she and Paul once sheltered girls escaping dangerous situations when local options failed.
He kept photos only “in case one vanished,” and in total, “Your dad saved twenty-eight lives.”
Former survivors soon reach out with messages like “Paul saved my life,” “I wouldn’t be here without him,” and “He gave me hope when no one else did.”
A man named Ronnie donates $50,000 to continue Paul’s work.
The narrator and Marie turn the house into a nonprofit called Paul’s Place, where new girls receive support, guidance, and stability.
At a memorial, one woman says, “I’m a social worker now… he saved my whole life.”
A plaque now honors him: “Heroes don’t always wear capes. Sometimes, they wear oil-stained shirts.”
