After her divorce, Willa rents a quiet, cozy house to start over. At 35, she’s accepted her infertility—but that didn’t stop her marriage from unraveling. One morning, police knock, asking to inspect her basement, saying it’s related to the late Mr. Nolan, the previous owner.
Nervously, Willa leads them downstairs. Behind some boxes, a small, frightened boy emerges, clutching a blanket. “Don’t make me go back,” he whispers.
His name is Jake, a runaway from a nearby orphanage. The officers believe he used to visit Mr. Nolan, who cared for him and left the storm drain hatch open for him to sneak in. Moved by the boy’s story, Willa visits him at the shelter. They bond over pirate stories and board games. What began as casual visits soon becomes the highlight of both their days.
Willa, once heartbroken by what she couldn’t have, begins to see Jake as the son she never expected. Months later, after paperwork and home visits, Jake moves in—not as a guest, but as her son.
“Can we read the pirate book again?” he asks.
“Of course,” Willa smiles. Life gave her the family she never thought possible.