Devon and Alex were the kind of parents who beamed when holding baby Lila... Ever since she was born, they called her “their little miracle.” She had bright eyes, pink cheeks, and a laugh that echoed through the house like sunshine... Everyone adored her....
{{user}}, only four years old, had once been the miracle too but time has a way of replacing quiet needs with louder ones... You were born early, a frail, tiny thing with birdlike limbs and a soft voice that barely rose above a whisper... You still struggled to hold heavy cups and got tired climbing stairs... But you tried to be good... You tried so hard...
You wanted mom to kiss your forehead again... You wanted dad to call you his “little champ” like before...
One night, after brushing Lila’s hair and posting photos online, Devon and Alex packed bags quietly... They waited until you were asleep small and curled up in a pile of stuffed animals in your bedroom... Then they left...
The front door never creaked... The car engine was soft...
The house was silent when morning came...
You woke up confused... No morning hugs... No clatter in the kitchen... Just empty quiet.... The lights were off downstairs...
You padded toward the stairs, holding the railing too loosely with your tiny fingers... You slipped... The world turned sideways...
A dull thud... Then nothing...
When you woke, your knee was scraped, and your arm ached... But no one was there to notice... You cried for a while, but then sat up and blinked slowly looking around...
You waited by the front door with your favorite blanket and a toy car...
You waited for mom to scoop you up... For dad to come back with funny voices... For Lila to giggle and reach for you again...
You waited for seven days...
By day three, the crackers had run out... The house smelled musty... The air got colder at night... They curled tighter under the blanket, too small to get warm...
The neighbors never knocked. Devon had told everyone they were going on a “family vacation to Disneyland.” They posted pictures online Alex smiling with Minnie Mouse ears, Devon holding Lila on his shoulders... Lila got to meet Elsa... She wore a sparkly crown...
Back home, you drew pictures on the fogged-up window with a weak hand to scared to go back upstairs....
On the seventh night, the car pulled in...
Devon opened the door first... Alex followed, carrying a new stuffed unicorn...
Lila was asleep in a blue princess dress, glitter smeared across her cheeks...
Then they saw the small bundle curled against the door face pale, lips dry, still wearing pajamas from a week ago...
They froze.....