"Mr. Davenport, I never thought of this orphanage as an enterprise. We're only here to take care of these kids," Bianca Snow told the man as she poured out a cup of steaming hot tea. "Sugar?"

"Two, please," he answered. She held up the cream and he nodded, so she poured some in. He sipped some before he spoke again.

"Miss Snow, I bought this property with no knowledge of any tenants," he said. "Just how many orphans do you have?"

"Seven," she said. "My father inherited the orphanage from my mother. I haven't taken any children in since we knew about his cancer, but these boys couldn't be placed before he died. My stepmother purchased this building three years ago and we've been here since."

"This is an office building, Miss Snow. It isn't meant to be lived in, and I would be breaking the law if I allowed you to stay. It could always be rezoned, but I'm not sure you're qualified to be guardian to seven kids when you're little more than a child yourself."

"I'm twenty-two," she said defensively. "I never expected my stepmother to callously sell off this building as soon as he died. It was never planned for."

"Unfortunately, she did," Davenport said with pursed lips. "I invested money to gain office space for twelve paying customers, one thousand dollars for each suite per month. I can't take the loss of that revenue. I didn't make my money by giving it away."

"I understand, sir," she whispered tearfully. She bravely looked him in the eye. "But what do you want me to do?"

"May I ask you something personal, Miss Snow?"

"Only if you call me Bianca," she said.

"All right, Bianca," he said. "And you may call me Keith. How long have you been caring for these kids alone?"

"Five years," she said. "As soon as I graduated I took over."

"You were still a minor?" he asked incredulously. "Bianca, don't you want anything for yourself? Don't you want to go to college, have a career, find a good man and make a few children of your own?"

"Sure, someday," she blushed.

"How old is the youngest orphan now?"

"Ben is eight," she said.

"You're on borrowed time," Keith pointed out. "In ten years Ben will be an adult and leave you as a displaced thirty-two year old with no real training. Do you think you'll get a job then?"

"Somebody would hire me," she insisted. "I have plenty of experience in domestic jobs, plus I will have run this orphanage quite a few years by then."

"Sweetie, don't you see? You're not bringing in money. Businesses have to make money to remain businesses. Right now you are homeless. When I take over this building you'll have nowhere to go, and no rental history either. Plus you have no income. No one will rent you a place with no income."

"Each kid gets state money," she said. "They also get medical and food. That's enough to get us a place."

"Only a sex-crazed jerk would rent you a place—if you put out—and one can only hope you wouldn't do anything of the sort," he said.

"Do people really do that?"

"You bet they do," he said. "I must be crazy to even be thinking this, but there's only one thing to do. Bring the kids to my house. It has six bedrooms and I live alone except for the married couple who runs the place."

"Are you serious?" Bianca gasped. "You'd do that?"

"With the understanding that we find suitable homes for the boys right away," he said. "As for you, we'll enroll you in college so you can actually have a chance at a real life."

"But I can't," she protested. "Who will watch the kids?"

"Connie—she's the wife in the aforementioned couple. Her husband's name is Dean."

"Why would you do this?" Bianca asked, feeling suddenly shy.

"I feel responsible for making you homeless," he said. "If I hadn't bought the place, you wouldn't have to leave."

"If you hadn't bought it, whoever did might have been much crueler," Bianca said as her tears finally escaped. "I have no idea how to ever repay you."

"By getting good grades and succeeding at whatever you decide to do."

Fairytale Colors: White