Page 332 of When a Soul Cries

Hard.

Until I reminded her that another mother out there needed Eastview more than she did now.

That quieted her.

Then I bought us a bigger house.

Seven bedrooms. Huge backyard. Pool. More space than we needed right now and enough for however big our family eventually became.

Sol called it ridiculous.

Then she saw the kitchen.

After that, she stopped arguing quite as hard.

The job was different.

I understood why she needed it.

It wasn't about the paycheck.

It was about having something of her own.

So one night I asked her a simple question.

*"If money didn't matter, what would you want to do?"*

She thought about it for a long time.

Then she said, *"Help women like me."*

That was how Soul Haven started.

Not in a boardroom.

At our kitchen table.

One conversation turned into pages of notes. Notes turned into meetings. Meetings turned into partnerships, counselors, attorneys, resources, and eventually a building.

**The Soul Haven Foundation.**

Emergency housing assistance. Counseling. Childcare resources. Legal referrals. Job placement. Support groups. Financial education.

A place for women who needed somewhere safe to start again.

My money helped build it.

But Soul Haven was hers.

And today she was opening the doors.

---

"DADA!"

Little feet came pounding down the hallway before Halo came flying through the bedroom door, her curls bouncing wildly around her face.

I turned just in time to catch her as she launched herself at me.