Every day, little Minh sat by the orphanage window, watching other children leave with smiling parents. But no one ever came for him.

Born with a crooked smile and a face that looked different, Minh was abandoned as a baby. The other kids called him “the crooked one,” and while they played, he quietly drew pictures with broken crayons, holding on to a hope that one day, someone would see past his appearance.

Only one person ever saw his light—Mrs. Lan, the kind caretaker who gave him his name, which means “bright.”

Years went by. Children came and went, but Minh remained, always ready with a neat shirt and a hopeful smile whenever someone visited.

Then, at seven, a quiet couple walked in. They had lost a child and weren’t looking for perfection. When Minh smiled, they smiled back.

They saw not a flaw, but the courage in a little boy who had waited so long to be loved.

That night, Minh left the only home he’d known, carrying a sketchbook, a toy car, and a heart finally full.

He wasn’t watching the world anymore.

He was part of it—he was going home.