The little girl Veronica and Joseph took in after finding her alone under a park bridge was never able to talk to them. But one night, she walked into their bedroom and yelled, “Thank you, Mom and Dad!”, which scared them.
The sky was a pretty pink, and Veronica and Joseph were walking together through the park. After their only child died of cancer, the couple found that spending time in nature helped them heal.
As they got closer to the park’s bridge, Veronica put her head on Joseph’s shoulder and asked, “Should we try for another child, honey?” Maybe that will make a difference. How do you feel about it?
Joseph sighs. “We can, hun,” he said. “But are you sure about it? I’m not going to do it quickly. Before we even think about this, we need to be in the right frame of mind.”
After a short pause, she said, “You’re right,” with tears in her eyes. “I still miss Sammy… little boy… “How could God be so mean and take him away?”
That day, as Veronica cried into Joseph’s shoulder and thought about their dead son, she saw a pair of eyes looking at them. She noticed right away that a shadow went under the bridge, but she wasn’t ready for what happened next…
“Hold on, honey,” Veronica said as she wiped away her tears and looked under the bridge. She saw a small girl with big brown eyes staring at her. She was wearing a dirty dress and had dirt on her face, hands, and bare feet.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Veronica said in a soft voice. “Why are you all by yourself here?”
The girl was still being stared at, but she didn’t say anything. “Is there anything we can do for you?” asked Veronica. “I’m Veronica, and this is Joseph, my husband. “What are you called?”
She didn’t say anything.
She looked at Joseph and let out a sigh. “Are you able to talk to her? She seems afraid.”
Joseph said “yes” and walked up to the girl. “Hi, sweetie,” he said. “Listen, we’re starving, and we were going to get sandwiches and hot chocolate at that cafe near the park. Would you like to join us?”
Love is the strongest medicine, and it can do miracles.
“Yes, honey,” Veronica said, putting out her hand for the girl to take. “Do you want to come along? If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. We could have something tasty!”
The girl looked at Veronica and then at Joseph, and then she moved toward Veronica.
“Yes,” Veronica said in a positive way. “You can hold my hand!”
So, the girl took a few more steps toward Veronica and finally put her hands in hers. “Great, honey,” Veronica said with a soft smile. “Let’s go get you some food!”
The girl was taken to a cafe by Veronica and Joseph, who got her sandwiches and a chocolate shake. While she quietly ate, everyone around her stared at her in a strange way because she didn’t look clean.
Honey, Veronica said to Joseph, “I don’t know what a little girl is doing here in such a mess.” “We should be able to get her home, but we have to call the police.”
“Let’s first get her home, hun,” suggested Joseph. “She seems to be in trouble and hungry at the same time.”
So, Veronica and Joseph took the little girl home and let her sleep that night in Sam’s comfortable bed. The next morning, they called the police and CPS, but when the girl was questioned, she hid behind Veronica.
The social worker told Veronica, “She seems to trust you.” “Have you thought of taking care of her? We can’t do anything if she doesn’t talk, and we can tell she feels safe here.”
“We haven’t thought about it yet,” Joseph said. “But,” he said to Veronica as he looked at her, “I don’t think we’re ready for it.”
“NO!” He was talking, but Veronica cut him off and hugged the girl close. “Yes, we can. We are also certified because, well, we thought about adopting at one point!”
“Then that’s great,” the worker said. “You can keep the girl while we look for her parents or anyone else who knows who she is. “Better luck!”
Even Veronica couldn’t explain why she felt so strangely connected to the girl and decided to keep her at home. She couldn’t let the little girl go when she grabbed her dress with her tiny fingers and hid behind her, as if she knew she would be safe and loved.
Over time, Veronica and Joseph grew to love the girl as if she were their own child. When they couldn’t find her family, they even took her in as their own. There was one problem, though. The girl just didn’t speak. She didn’t say anything even when she didn’t like something.
That made the couple uncomfortable, so they took her to a doctor. The doctor told them that the girl had been traumatized.
The doctor said, “I would say it was a shock.” “Your daughter has been through a terrible thing, and she’s still not completely over it. Even though medicine can do amazing things, I think that what your daughter needs most right now is love and care. Only you can do that as her parents.”
That night, Veronica cried and wondered what their little angel had been through. She decided to do whatever she could to help her get better.
“Don’t worry, honey,” Joseph told her to make her feel better. “I’ve got an idea. I’m not sure if it’ll make much of a difference, but we can try!”
As a surprise for their daughter Milly, Joseph and Veronica set up a room with a princess theme. As a sign that they were getting over Sam’s death, they got rid of all of his old things and redecorated the walls, bed, closet, and everything else.
“What a surprise!” the couple said when they showed Milly the room.
But Milly didn’t show any signs of excitement, which made them sad.
“Did you not like your room, honey?” asked Veronica. “See, princesses are everywhere! You finally have a bed of your own, too. All of it is yours! We know how much you love princesses, Daddy and I.”
Milly looked at them and then around the room, but she didn’t say anything.
Victoria and Joseph were sad when they got back to their room.
Joseph said, “I think we should take her to a therapist.” “That’s the best option.”
Milly walked into their room right then. Joseph and Veronica were surprised to see her crying.
“What’s the matter, honey?” Victoria questioned. “Is everything okay?”
“Thank… Sky,” she said, and Victoria and Joseph were surprised to hear their daughter speak.
“Thanks Mom and Dad. The princess… the bed… I love it!” she went on. “Can you—can you call me Sky?”
As Joseph and Victoria hugged Milly, they couldn’t help but cry. “Honey, we love you,” Joseph said. “What was your name before Sky?”
She nodded her head. “I—I met your mom and you in the park, and the sky was pink. I am Sky.”
Victoria was happy. “Of course! Sky you are! Milly, no! You’re our Sky!”
At the end of that day, Milly/Sky told Victoria and Joseph her sad story. She said that she and her birth mother had been homeless for years, and that after her mother died, she wandered the streets alone and slept under a bridge, in an alley, and anywhere else she could find.
When the couple heard that, they both started crying and hugged her. “Sky,” Vicky said. “I remember that day, too, honey, because the sky was pink. I think everything happened for a reason.”
What does this story teach us?
Love is the strongest medicine, and it can do miracles. Milly/broken Sky’s heart was healed by the love of Victoria and Joseph, and she finally accepted them as parents.
Family is about more than just blood ties. After they lost their son, Victoria and Joseph were sad, but Sky’s love helped them feel better.
Tell your friends about this story. It could make their day and give them ideas.