When the moving truck stopped next door, I never imagined how much my life was about to change. For years, that house sat empty, a silent companion to my own loneliness.
I watched from my window as a tall, brooding man, a pale, distant woman, and a little girl appeared. The girl, clutching a teddy bear, played alone in the weeds, her wide eyes holding more sadness than a child should.
Daniel and I had always wanted children but failed, leaving a hollow ache in my heart. Seeing her stirred something deep inside me. A few days later, I found her balancing too close to the street. I took her hand, learned her name was Rosie, and drew shapes in the dirt with her until she smiled.
Her mother appeared briefly, offering a strange invitation for tea. But when I returned the next day, the house was nearly empty. Only Rosie remained, holding a note: She’s yours if you want her. My heart dropped. They had abandoned her.