Veronica and Joseph adopted and adored the little girl they found abandoned under a park bridge, but she never spoke a single word to them. However, one night she walked into the couple’s bedroom and cried, “Thank you, Mom & Dad,” startling the couple.
The sky was a lovely pink, and Veronica and Joseph were strolling through the park together. After losing their only child to cancer, the couple found spending time in nature therapeutic.
As they approached the park’s bridge, Veronica gently rested her head on Joseph’s shoulder and asked, “Should we try for another child, honey? Maybe that will change things. What do you think?”
The sky was a lovely pink, and Veronica and Joseph were strolling through the park together. After losing their only child to cancer, the couple found spending time in nature therapeutic.
As they approached the park’s bridge, Veronica gently rested her head on Joseph’s shoulder and asked, “Should we try for another child, honey? Maybe that will change things. What do you think?”
Joseph sighed. “We can, hun,” he said. “But are you sure about it? I’m not going to rush through it. We need to be in the right mental space before considering this.”
“You’re right,” she said after a brief pause, tears welling in her eyes. “I still miss Sammy… our little boy… How could God be so cruel and take him away?”
Veronica was crying into Joseph’s shoulder that day, remembering their late son, when she noticed a pair of eyes staring at them. She was quick to notice a silhouette that vanished beneath the bridge, but she wasn’t prepared for what happened next…
“One second, honey,” Veronica brushed away her tears and looked beneath the bridge, only to find a small girl staring at her with curious big brown eyes. She was wearing a dirty frock, and her face, hands, and bare feet were all soiled.
“Hi there, darling,” said Veronica gently. “What are you doing here by yourself?”
The girl continued to stare at her but said nothing. “Would you like us to help you with something?” asked Veronica. “My name is Veronica, and this is my husband, Joseph. What’s your name?”
The girl didn’t speak a word.
Veronica looked at Joseph and sighed. “Can you speak to her? She looks scared.”
Joseph nodded and approached the girl. “Hi, sweetie,” he said. “Listen, we’re starving, and we were going to have some sandwiches and hot chocolate at that cafe near the park. Would you like to join us?”
Love is the most powerful medicine, capable of performing miracles.
“Yes, sweetie,” said Veronica, extending her hand for the girl to hold. “Would you like to come with us? It’s ok if you don’t want to talk. We could eat something delicious!”
The girl looked from Veronica to Joseph, then took a step toward Veronica.
“Yes,” said Veronica encouragingly. “You can hold my hand!”
So the girl walked a couple more steps towards Veronica and finally placed her hands in hers. “Wonderful, sweetie,” Veronica said, smiling softly. “Let’s go get you some food!”
Veronica and Joseph took the girl to the cafe and got her sandwiches and a chocolate shake. While she quietly ate the food, everyone around them stared weirdly at her because of her unkempt looks.
“I wonder what a little girl is doing here in such a state, honey,” Veronica murmured to Joseph. “We should get her home, but we’ll need to report to the police.”
“Let’s first get her home, hun,” suggested Joseph. “She looks like she was in trouble and hungry too.”
So Veronica and Joseph brought the little girl home and gave her Sam’s comfy bed to sleep in that night. The next morning, they called the cops and CPS, but when the authorities began questioning the girl, she hid behind Veronica.
“She seems to trust you,” said the social worker to Veronica. “Have you thought about fostering her? We can’t do anything if she won’t speak up, and we can tell she feels safe here.”