As a hot-headed college senior who's led a privileged life, Rachel is particularly frustrated when she's forced to serve community service over the holidays at a soup kitchen in 2007 Montreal.

Yet the experience starts opening her eyes to a world she had previously disdained, especially when she meets Ben, a former Iraq war vet. Fascinated, intrigued, and admittedly attracted, she can't help but want to dig deeper into the mysterious artist/poet. But a broken man with PTSD and personal trauma who has given up on life is not easily won, despite the help she tries to give him.

Will Rachel be able to convince Ben he's worth so much more than he believes? Or will a life-threatening emergency have to tip his heart?(41k words)