The woman led Stephanie and Maya through the back door of the small restaurant.
Inside, the kitchen was warm and noisy. Pots clanged softly while the smell of fried food filled the air.
Stephanie felt slightly nervous.
This was the first time since leaving home that she was about to do something that actually mattered.
The woman placed the box they had carried onto the counter.
"My name is Rosa," she said. "I own this place."
Maya nodded politely.
"I'm Maya. This is Stephanie."
Rosa studied them carefully.
"You two sisters?"
Stephanie and Maya exchanged a quick glance before Maya answered.
"No… just friends."
Rosa didn't ask any more questions.
"Well," she said, tying an apron around her waist, "if you're really looking for work, I could use help washing dishes tonight."
She pointed toward the large sink at the corner of the kitchen.
"It's not glamorous work, and I can't pay much."
"That's okay," Maya replied quickly.
Stephanie nodded in agreement.
"We'll do it."
Rosa handed them two aprons.
"Good. Start with those."
Stephanie stepped up to the sink and stared at the pile of dirty plates stacked beside it.
For a moment, she felt overwhelmed.
Back home, she had never imagined herself doing something like this.
But then she remembered something important.
She didn't have a home anymore.
So she rolled up her sleeves.
"Let's do it," she said quietly.
Maya grinned.
"That's the spirit."
For the next few hours, they washed dishes, wiped tables, and helped wherever Rosa asked.
Their hands became wrinkled from the water, and their backs ached from standing.
But neither of them complained.
Every plate they cleaned felt like a small victory.
When the restaurant finally closed late that night, Rosa walked over to them.
"You girls worked hard," she said.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small amount of cash.
"Here."
Stephanie stared at the money in her hand.
It wasn't much.
But it was the first money she had ever earned by herself.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Rosa nodded.
"You also look like you could use a proper meal."
She placed two plates of warm food on the table.
Stephanie's stomach growled instantly.
The girls sat down together and began eating.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The food tasted better than anything Stephanie had eaten in a long time.
Maya leaned back in her chair and sighed.
"Not bad for our first day surviving the world."
Stephanie smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
She looked down at the money still resting in her hand.
It was small.
But it meant something.
For the first time since leaving home…
she felt like maybe she could survive after all.