One foggy evening, as dusk settled like a soft blanket over the city, Thomas found himself driving through familiar streets near Greenwood. He was lost in thought when he noticed a figure up ahead, standing by the gate of the cemetery. It was a girl, around ten years old, with dark hair that cascaded around her shoulders, wearing a simple blue dress. She waved at him, signaling for a ride.

As Thomas pulled over, the girl approached with a smile that seemed to light up the dim evening. “Mr. Thomas?” she asked, her voice sweet and confident.

He was taken aback. “Yes, that’s me. How do you know my name?”

The girl laughed, a sound as bright as morning. “My mother told me about you. I’m Lily… Lily Crosswell.”

Thomas’s heart skipped a beat. This was the child he had helped bring into the world, standing before him, a decade later. “Lily,” he whispered, almost to himself.

She nodded, her eyes full of life and warmth. “Mom told me everything. About that night, and how you saved us both. She said you were our guardian angel.”

Tears welled up in Thomas’s eyes as he absorbed the moment. “I just did what anyone would…”

Lily interrupted, shaking her head. “Not just anyone. You. And I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me?” Thomas echoed, bewildered.

Lily reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, intricately wrapped box. “This is for you,” she said, handing it over. “It’s a token of our gratitude.”

Curious, Thomas slowly unwrapped the box. Inside was a delicate silver locket, engraved with the words “Our Forever Friend”. His fingers trembled as he held it, the significance of the gesture overwhelming.

“Thank you,” he managed to say, his voice choked with emotion.

Lily beamed at him, a reflection of the night ten years ago when a new life had begun amidst the gravestones. “You deserve it,” she said. “And so much more.”

As she waved goodbye and disappeared into the evening mist, Thomas sat in his taxi, clutching the locket like a lifeline. The world felt a little less silent, a little less lonely. And for the first time in many years, he felt the warmth of hope rekindle in his heart, like a candle flickering bravely against the vast, infinite night.