Emily, their little girl, was six years old and silent. Stephanie became aware that she was silent over time. She would frequently watch Emily playing by herself in the yard, her eyes darting around in search of something captivating, but Emily never spoke.An ice cream truck drove through the neighborhood one sunny Sunday while belting out its upbeat song. With her eyes ablaze with excitement, Emily hurried outside. With a wistful gaze, she watched the vehicle from the edge of her yard while holding onto the fence. Stephanie approached her, feeling a sudden flood of giving. “Hey there, Emily,” she remarked amiably. “Do you want some ice cream?” Emily gave a firm nod, her eyes glimmering with hope. “That’s okay then,” Stephanie grinned. “Come on, let’s get you some.” Together, they made their way to the truck. With a smile, the ice cream vendor leaned out. “What can I get for you today?” <Stephanie cast a quick peek toward Emily. “What would you like, sweetie?” Emily gestured toward a vibrant popsicle. Stephanie said, “Please, one popsicle.” She took the candy and gave it to Emily, then turned over the cash. Emily gave her a big smile and nodded in appreciation before rushing home to get her treat. A warm sensation surged across Stephanie’s chest as she watched her leave. A few days later, Stephanie saw something tiny behind the fence dividing their yards as she was watering her plants. She knelt and saw it was a piece of paper with a piece of candy and a wobbly handwritten “Thank you” on it. Emily was obviously too young to write well, but she was moved by the gesture.With a smile, Stephanie chose to return the favor. She searched for a tiny piece of paper and an old bracelet she hardly wore because she was out of candy and toys. Stephanie penned a letter: “Hello Emily, I appreciate the chocolates you gave me. Hopefully, you enjoy this bracelet. Stephanie, your friend.Sensing a connection that had eluded her for years, she tucked the bracelet and the note under the fence and returned to her gardening. With no other kids in the area and the appearance of homeschooling, Emily gave off the impression of being lonely. Stephanie believed that this brief conversation would be the last one. But the following day, while she was pruning her roses, Mrs. Thompson stormed over in a fit of rage. Her cheeks flushed with rage, she shouted, “What do you think you are doing?” “A bracelet after ice cream, what next? Whatever you are thinking, please keep away from my daughter.” Stephanie attempted to defend herself, stunned, saying, “I was just being kind. The ice cream appeared to be enjoyed by Emily, and I thought—”However, Mrs. Thompson cut her off, saying, “No! What you believe matters not to me. You are someone I don’t know and trust. Do you get that you should stay away from her?” Stephanie nodded, embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. She heard Mrs. Thompson slam the door behind her as she stormed back into her home. She nearly made the decision to keep her distance, but the very next day she discovered, beneath the fence, a filthy plush rabbit with jagged stitches and a plastic lunch bag filled with change. It had to have some significance. Recalling the previous meeting, Stephanie was reluctant to accept anything, particularly the cash. However, her curiosity overcame her. She felt something hard inside when she picked up the toy. What on earth might this be? As she cautiously held the bunny, her thoughts were whirling with all the possible outcomes. Something significant appeared to be hidden by the clumsy stitches.“Emily,” she said to herself in a whisper. “What are you trying to tell me?” With wonder and worry in her heart, Stephanie carried the toy inside. In case Emily treasured the plush bunny, she delicately sewed it apart, being cautious not to ruin it too much. She took a tiny child’s toy phone out of the rabbit. It was merely a piece of plastic with some buttons; it wasn’t the real one. A recorder was among its features. Pushing it, Stephanie thought she would hear a kid’s song. She was shocked to hear Mrs. Thompson’s voice speaking as she hit the play button. Her speech was hard to hear, but when the toy got closer to what sounded like a kitchen, the audio quality improved. John, we require that insurance money. No one will doubt us if we pretend there is an electrical issue. We might blame it on the strange neighbor woman next door who was watering her flowers and our electric pole at the same time. Come on, honey, this is really great.” Stephanie’s shocked eyes grew wider. She was hearing things that she couldn’t believe. Emily had attempted to alert her to her mother’s scheme in return for a small favor. But she had to take action now that she was aware of what was happening. Emily’s life would only get worse if the recording was shown to the family as evidence. She spoke to herself aloud as she thought over her possibilities. She paced her living room, murmuring, “I could call the insurance company, but I don’t know which company they have a contract with or their full names.”She stopped, her mind racing as she held the toy phone. Besides, Mrs. Thompson’s plan might not have been approved by Emily’s father. However, I can’t take the chance. And if he hadn’t, I doubt Emily would have gone that far.” Stephanie made the decision to present the proof to the local police rather than confront Mrs. Thompson once more. She hoped that they would look into it without letting on about Emily’s involvement. She drove to the police station and explained the scenario after gathering her confidence. Officer Harris paid close attention as Stephanie told the tale. “So you found this recording inside a toy bunny that Emily, your mute neighbor, gave you?” He raised the toy phone in question. “Yes, officer. Stephanie shook her head and said, “I think Emily put it there to warn me.” Officer Harris gave a nod. “All right, let’s investigate. Could you please leave the play phone here?”Stephanie answered, “Of course,” and passed it to her. “Please, just make sure Emily doesn’t get into trouble.” A few days later, Stephanie observed the arrival of police at the Thompsons’ home from her window. When Mrs. Thompson answered the door when they knocked, her face became pale upon seeing the uniforms. “Ma’am, good morning. We have some inquiries for you,” one of the officers stated. “So what,” stumbled Mrs. Thompson, “is this about?” “We were tipped off to a possible insurance scam. Could we please enter?”As the officers entered the residence, Stephanie observed. Though she was unable to hear what was being said, she noticed that Mr. Thompson had joined them and appeared perplexed and worried. The cops were satisfied with their findings and carried some documents when they finally emerged after what seemed like hours. With a sigh of relief, Stephanie hoped that what she had done had kept Emily safe. Officer Harris stopped by her home a few days later to give her an update on the circumstances. “We investigated the Thompson family. It appears that Mr. Thompson was unaware of Mrs. Thompson’s plans to commit insurance fraud. We have avoided a possible crime as a result of your tip.” With a smile on her face, Stephanie expressed her satisfaction. “What’s going to happen to Mrs. Thompson?” “She will probably be charged, but we’re still looking into it. Officer Harris reassured Emily, “We’ve made sure she’s safe.Stephanie expressed relief at that. “Thank you for taking this seriously.” Officer Harris gave a nod. “You made the proper decision. Although taking charge is difficult, you most likely saved the young girl a great deal of trouble.” Feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders, Stephanie watched as the officer exited. She noticed Emily playing with her old, patched-up bunny in her yard later that evening. Emily raised her head and waved modestly at Stephanie. Stephanie smiled happily and waved back. “Hello, Emily. “How are you doing?”Emily hurried to the fence and held out a drawing she had created, but she did not answer verbally. It was a simple image of two people holding hands on a flower-filled background. Stephanie’s eyes pricked with tears. Emily, that is really lovely. I’m grateful. Emily grinned, her quiet thanks communicating louder than any words could. Stephanie was aware that despite having gone through a trying time together, their relationship had strengthened.Stephanie hoped that Emily’s life would eventually be more kind and less fearful, and that she would be able to help her courageous little neighbor in the future.Stephanie felt at ease as the area was bathed in a warm glow as the sun descended. She felt like she was a small but significant part of Emily’s universe, and for the first time in a long time, she felt like she had made the correct decision. If you could have been Stephanie, what actions would you have taken differently?
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