My Daughter Brought Home a Teddy Bear She Grew Attached to, but One Day I Discovered Someone Was Talking to Her Through the Toy — Story of the Day
My daughter Lily, four, brought home a teddy bear she adored, but one night I heard a woman’s voice reply through it. As a single mom since my ex left when Lily was three months old, I juggled bills and guilt, always wanting more for her. That day at the supermarket, Lily begged for the bear, but I couldn’t afford it. She drew it later, breaking my heart. When she came home with the same bear, her name stitched on it, I was uneasy—no one at daycare knew where it came from.
Lily talked to “Mr. Buttons” constantly, claiming he responded. One night, I heard a woman’s voice say, “Goodnight, Lily.” Panicked, I found no speaker in the bear. Days later, Lily mentioned the bear knew her breakfast, hinting at a “kitchen owl.” I smashed a ceramic owl figurine and found a hidden camera. Suspecting the plumber who’d been over, I drove to my ex-mother-in-law Margaret’s house. She admitted to planting the bear and camera, desperate to connect with her granddaughter after rejecting her years ago. Furious but seeing Lily’s need for family, I let them meet. Margaret sobbed, hugging Lily. I don’t fully trust her, but Lily deserves a grandmother’s love. I swallowed my pride for her happiness, wary but hopeful.
