It happened two weeks ago when we were out for a walk. Out of nowhere, my 5 y.o. daughter Emily began to cry and point at a woman casually walking by.
To my utter disbelief, this woman looked over, recognized Emily immediately, and her face turned pale. Then, she called out to my daughter, saying, “Lila, is that you?” I froze. Lila?
Who’s Lila? My daughter’s name is Emily. Emily stopped crying and whispered to me, “Mommy, that’s the nice lady who used to take care of me… before.” Before what?
Emily had never been cared for by anyone else other than me, my husband, and a few trusted family members. My heart started pounding. The woman approached us slowly, tears welling in her eyes.
She explained that three years ago, she lost her own daughter, Lila, in a tragic accident. Lila had been five years old at the time—the same age Emily is now. My stomach dropped as Emily hugged the woman tightly and said, “I told you I’d find you again.” The woman and I stood there, speechless.
I couldn’t understand what was happening. Could Emily possibly be…? Emily then turned to me with the most innocent smile and said, “Mommy, I think I had another family before I came to you.”
The woman fell to her knees, sobbing, while I held Emily close, unsure of what to believe.
From that day on, the woman has stayed in touch. Whether it’s a strange coincidence or something beyond our understanding, one thing is clear—our lives will never be the same again.
