THE BLUE MITTEN: A seven-year-old girl walked up to the iron judge’s bench with a frayed woolen mitten, whispering the secret that brought the entire courtroom to tears.

Four hours passed like an eternity in the quiet waiting room outside the surgical suite.

Eleanor sat alone by the window, staring out at the snow falling softly over the city sky. In her hands, she held the blue mitten, her fingers tracing the faded white snowflake pattern.

She remembered the day she had knitted it—sitting by a warm fireplace while a tiny six-year-old David bounced on her lap, giggling as he tried to catch real snowflakes outside.

I lost you in the snow, my little boy, Eleanor thought, tears trickling down her wrinkled cheeks. But you found your way home.

The doors of the surgical suite slid open.

Dr. Aris walked out, pulling off his surgical mask. He was exhausted, but a broad, triumphant smile lit up his face.

"Judge Vance," Dr. Aris called out warmly.

Eleanor quickly turned her chair around. "Doctor? How are they?"

"The bone marrow extraction from David was a complete success," Dr. Aris reported, wiping his brow. "And the transplantation into Lily went smoother than we could have hoped for. Her body has accepted the stem cells without any immediate rejection. In a few weeks, she will be completely healthy."