Kelly’s heart pounded in her chest as she stood frozen, listening. The voice she heard wasn’t just any voice—it was her husband’s voice. Jeremy had been gone for two years, yet it sounded like he was speaking right now, from inside her daughter’s room. She shivered, the hairs on her arms standing up as she tried to make sense of it. She knew her husband’s voice better than anything, but this? This couldn’t be real.
Jeremy had died in a car accident two years ago. Kelly remembered it as if it were yesterday. She had been painting flowers on the nursery wall, just weeks away from giving birth to their daughter, Sophia. She had been so excited for their future. But then came the call that tore everything apart.
“Miss Kelly?” The officer’s voice had been calm, but the words that followed shattered her world. “This is Officer Reynolds. There’s been an accident. Your husband…”
The rest of the words didn’t even register. She could only feel her hand instinctively press to her pregnant belly, where Sophia had kicked, as if sensing the turmoil around them.
The police told her the crash was bad—so bad, they said, that she shouldn’t even see his body. The funeral was a blur. She never got to say goodbye. Just a closed casket, a painful ache in her chest, and a promise to stay strong, especially for Sophia.
Her mother had whispered at the funeral, trying to comfort her. “Kelly, honey, you need to stay strong. For the baby.”
“But how?” Kelly had whispered back, her voice breaking. “How do I do this alone? He was supposed to be here. He was supposed to hold her.”
Now, two years later, Kelly was trying to do just that—keep going for Sophia. But every day was a battle. The emptiness Jeremy left behind never truly went away. It was always there, sitting heavy on her chest.
And then, two days ago, something happened that made Kelly question everything.
It had started like any other afternoon. Sophia was napping, and Kelly had settled onto the couch with a book. The house was quiet, peaceful. But then, she heard it.
A faint sound—like a window shutting. She glanced up, but it didn’t seem like anything. “It’s just the wind,” she thought. But then, the voice came again. Jeremy’s voice.
“I love you forever.”
Her blood turned to ice. Her breath caught in her throat. This wasn’t some distant memory or wishful thinking. It was clear. It was real.
“Jeremy?” she whispered into the silence, hoping to hear an answer. “Baby, is that you?”
But no, Jeremy was gone. This wasn’t possible. Yet there it was again, like a whisper of hope—or a cruel joke.
“I love you forever.”
The words were coming from Sophia’s room.
Kelly’s heart raced as she bolted up from the couch. Was someone in there? Was this a prank? Was she losing her mind?
Her feet barely touched the floor as she ran down the hallway, tears already filling her eyes. “Please,” she whispered, not even sure who she was praying to. “Please, if you’re there…”
She pushed open the door to Sophia’s room.
The scene in front of her made her stomach twist in knots. There was Sophia, sound asleep in her crib, curled up with her tiny fingers clutching a teddy bear. The room was just as she had left it—no open windows, no shadows lurking in the corners, nothing out of place.
But then the voice came again.
“I love you forever.”
Kelly’s heart stopped. No. This couldn’t be real. She scanned the room frantically, her hands shaking as she moved toward the window. What was going on?
Her fingers brushed against the cold glass. It was shut. Locked. Outside, a small tree branch lay pressed against the pane, probably knocked loose by the wind. That explained the noise—but not the voice.
Her eyes snapped back to Sophia. The little girl stirred in her sleep, hugging her teddy bear tightly. And then, in a soft, sleepy voice, Sophia murmured, “Dada.”
Kelly’s heart shattered. She hadn’t realized just how much the pain of losing Jeremy still stung until that moment. But then, something caught her attention.
The bear.
Her fingers trembled as she reached down to pick it up. The voice. It was coming from the bear.
“I love you forever.”
Her chest tightened so much she could hardly breathe. She was clutching the bear to her chest, her tears falling freely now.
“Oh God,” she sobbed. “Oh God, Jeremy…”
She sat on the couch, staring at the bear, as if it might suddenly spring to life. She had no memory of buying it. Had someone else given it to Sophia?
Then it hit her. Sophia’s birthday. Just a week ago, they had celebrated her second birthday. Jeremy’s mother, Gloria, had given the teddy bear to Sophia.
“Look what Grandma got you!” Kelly had said, trying to sound cheerful despite the ache in her chest. It was another birthday without Jeremy.
Now, sitting there, staring at the bear, Kelly needed answers. She grabbed her phone and called Gloria. Her voice trembled as she asked, “Did you know this thing plays Jeremy’s voice?”
There was a long pause. “Oh… did it finally play?” Gloria’s voice was quiet, almost apologetic.
“What do you mean, finally?” Kelly’s stomach churned with a mix of confusion and dread.
Gloria hesitated. “I was wondering when you’d hear it.”
“Gloria,” Kelly said, her voice firm, “What did you do?”
“Please, Kelly,” Gloria’s voice cracked. “Let me explain.”
Kelly took a deep breath. “Explain what? Explain why you thought it was okay to…”
She couldn’t even finish the sentence.
An hour later, Gloria arrived at Kelly’s house, looking almost sheepish. She sat down across from Kelly, folding her hands nervously, her eyes flicking between Kelly and the teddy bear on the table.
“I thought it would help,” Gloria said softly, her voice trembling.
Kelly placed the bear between them. “Help who?”
Gloria exhaled, looking down. “Sophia. And you.”
Kelly felt a cold lump form in her throat. “Kelly,” Gloria continued, “Every time Sophia asks about her daddy, every time I see you trying to explain, it just breaks my heart.”
“And you don’t think it breaks mine?” Kelly’s voice cracked. “To hear his voice again, out of nowhere?”
Gloria swallowed, her eyes misting over. “After Jeremy died, I kept thinking about how Sophia would never get to hear his voice. So I took a recording from your wedding video. You remember his vows?”
Kelly’s breath caught. She remembered all too well.
“‘I love you forever,’” Gloria whispered, her voice barely audible.
Kelly closed her eyes, remembering how Jeremy had practiced those vows for weeks, determined to get them perfect.
Gloria clasped her hands together, her voice low. “I had it sewn into the bear before Sophia’s birthday. I wanted her to have a piece of him. To know that he’s always with her.”
Kelly blinked hard, staring at the table, her mind spinning. She understood now—Gloria had meant well, but it didn’t stop the overwhelming wave of emotions crashing over her.
“Gloria,” Kelly whispered, her voice trembling. “You should have told me.”
“I know,” Gloria admitted, her smile fragile. “I just… I didn’t want to upset you.”
“Upset me?” Kelly let out a bitter laugh. “I thought I was going crazy. For a moment, I thought… I thought he was…”
“Alive?” Gloria finished for her softly. She reached across the table and pulled Kelly into her arms, comforting her as she broke down.
“I miss him so much,” Kelly sobbed, the weight of two years of grief crashing down on her.
“I know,” Gloria whispered, stroking Kelly’s hair. “He would be so proud of you, Kelly. So proud of how you’re raising Sophia.”
Kelly didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t angry, but she wasn’t relieved either. She was just… overwhelmed.
That night, Kelly sat beside Sophia’s crib, watching her sleep. The teddy bear was in her lap. She traced the soft fabric of it, her fingers shaking as she thought about how much Sophia looked like her father. The same dimpled smile. The same sparkling blue eyes.
“You would have loved her so much,” Kelly whispered into the quiet of the room. “She’s perfect, Jeremy. Just perfect.”
She pressed the bear one last time, feeling the familiar voice fill the room again.
“I love you forever.”
Sophia stirred, her eyes fluttering open. “Mama?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
“Hey, baby girl,” Kelly whispered, brushing her cheek gently.
“Bear?” Sophia asked, reaching out for it.
Kelly handed it to her, watching as her daughter hugged the bear tightly to her chest. “That’s your daddy,” Kelly said, her voice thick with tears. “He loves you so, so much.”
“Dada?” Sophia asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
“Yes, sweetheart. That’s Dada.”
Sophia closed her eyes again, snuggling into the bear. “Love Dada.”
Kelly leaned down and kissed her forehead, whispering softly, “You’ll always have him with you, my sweet girl. Always.”
And in that moment, surrounded by her daughter’s warmth, Kelly realized that although the grief would never go away, she no longer felt so alone.