For weeks, a little girl across the street waved at me day and night. Every time I saw her, a strange chill ran down my spine. There was something in her eyes—something so intense, it haunted me. I couldn’t get it out of my head. What did she want? Why was she always staring at me like that?
One evening, as I stood by the window, I couldn’t take it any longer. I turned to my wife, Sandy, who was curled up on the couch, reading. “Babe, she’s doing it again,” I said, my voice filled with concern.
Sandy looked up from her book. “The girl who waves at you all the time?”
“Yeah,” I said, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten. “There’s something… off about it. Her eyes, Sandy. It’s like she’s trying to tell me something. I don’t know how to explain it.”
Sandy set the book aside and walked over to the window with me. “Arnie, maybe she’s just a lonely kid. Have you tried waving back?”
I shook my head, my eyes still fixed on the little girl standing by the window, waving her small hand. “It’s more than that, Sandy. It feels like she’s calling out to me. Like she needs me.”
Sandy placed her hand on my shoulder, a soft frown on her face. “Honey, you’re scaring me. It’s just a kid waving. Don’t read too much into it, okay?”
I forced a smile, but the unease still gnawed at me. “You’re probably right. I’m probably just overthinking it.” I closed the curtains, but as I did, a feeling settled in my chest—a feeling like I was turning my back on something important.
That night, I barely slept. I tossed and turned, the haunting image of the little girl calling out for help in my dreams. Her voice echoed in my mind: “Don’t leave me. Please, don’t go.”
I woke up in a cold sweat, heart racing. Sandy was sitting beside me, her concerned eyes wide. “Arnie? Are you okay? You were talking in your sleep,” she said, gently shaking me.
“I… I don’t know. That girl… she was in my dreams. She was crying out for me,” I said, my voice shaky.
Sandy frowned, worried. “Maybe you should talk to someone about this. A therapist, maybe?”
I shook my head. “No, I have to do something. I can’t just ignore it anymore.” I knew I had to find out who she was and why she was so desperate.
The next morning, I woke up exhausted. My head pounded from the restless night, but the smell of pancakes from the kitchen made my stomach growl. I made my way downstairs, where Sandy greeted me with a steaming cup of tea and a plate of golden pancakes.
“Rough night?” she asked, setting the plate in front of me.
I nodded, rubbing my temples. “Yeah. Those dreams… I couldn’t shake them.”
But when I sat down to eat, I found my gaze drawn to the window again. My heart skipped a beat. There she was—standing in the same spot, waving at me. As soon as our eyes met, her tiny hand lifted, beckoning me to her.
I put my cup down with a loud clink. “That’s it. I’m going to talk to her parents. I can’t take this anymore.”
Sandy’s eyes widened. “Arnie, are you sure about this?”
“I have to know, Sandy,” I replied, my voice firm. “I don’t understand it, but she’s… she’s trying to reach me. I have to find out what’s going on.”
Sandy came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Just be careful, okay? And call me if anything feels off.”
I kissed her forehead. “I will. I promise.”
The walk across the street felt like the longest journey of my life. My heart pounded as I neared the apartment building where the little girl lived. My palms were clammy as I pressed the buzzer for the apartment I had seen her in.
A long pause followed before a voice crackled through the intercom. “Yes? Who is it?”
“Hi, I’m Arnold from across the street. I wanted to talk to you about your daughter.”
There was another long pause, and then, the door buzzed open.
When I stepped inside, I froze. Standing before me was a woman I hadn’t seen in years—someone I never thought I’d see again.
“Juliette?” I whispered, hardly able to believe my eyes.
She nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. “Hello, Arnie. It’s been a long time.”
Before I could say anything else, a small figure appeared behind her. The little girl. She looked up at me, her face lighting up.
“DADDY?!” she exclaimed in a high, cheerful voice.
I staggered back, gripped by a wave of shock.
“What did she say?” I managed to ask, my voice trembling.
Juliette stepped aside to let me in. “Come inside, Arnie. We have a lot to talk about.”
I sank onto the couch, my mind reeling. Juliette sat across from me, her eyes full of emotion.
“Do you remember that weekend at the lake house?” she asked softly. “Six years ago?”
The memories flooded back. “Our last weekend together before—” I trailed off.
“Before we broke up,” Juliette finished, her voice heavy with emotion. “What I didn’t know then was… I was already pregnant.”
I felt like the world had tilted on its axis. “What? But how? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Tears spilled down Juliette’s face. “I tried, Arnie. I really did. But you disappeared. You moved out of town, changed your number. It was like you were gone from my life.”
“I had a right to know,” I choked, the weight of the years pressing down on me.
“I know,” she whispered. “I was young and scared. I didn’t know how to find you. By the time I worked up the courage, so much time had passed. I thought it was too late.”
The little girl, Heidi, sat silently in the corner, her big eyes watching me. My daughter. The words echoed in my mind, each one harder to believe than the last.
“When did you move here?” I asked, trying to steady myself.
“A few months ago,” Juliette said. “I got a job transfer. When I first saw you through the window… I thought it was fate. I told Heidi you were her father. But then, I saw you with someone else.”
“She’s my wife, Sandy,” I said, my voice hoarse.
The silence between us grew thick. I stood up suddenly, my mind whirling. “I need to go. I need some time to think.”
Heidi looked up at me, her face crumpling with confusion. “Daddy? Are you leaving?”
Her voice pierced my heart. I knelt down in front of her, my chest tight. “I’ll be back, sweetheart. I promise. I just need a little time, okay?”
She nodded, her eyes brimming with trust, and I had to fight the wave of emotion that surged through me.
As I left the apartment, Juliette called after me. “Arnie? I’m sorry. For everything.”
I didn’t respond. My mind was too full, too confused. I walked home in a daze, my legs heavy. Sandy was waiting by the door when I arrived.
“Arnie? What happened?” She could see the look on my face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I collapsed into her arms, my tears finally falling. Between sobs, I told her everything—about Juliette, about Heidi, about the daughter I never knew I had.
Sandy listened, her arms tight around me. When I finished, she pulled back, her expression serious. “What are you going to do?”
I shook my head, lost. “I don’t know. How do I just walk away from her? She’s my daughter, Sandy. She’s been waving at me like she’s trying to tell me something. How do I just… leave?”
Sandy’s voice softened. “I’m just as shocked as you are, Arnie. But we need to be careful. You can’t just believe everything Juliette says. We need to be sure.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, still processing everything.
“We should get a DNA test first. Just to be sure,” Sandy said, squeezing my shoulders.
The next day, I stood at Juliette’s door again. When she opened it, I didn’t hesitate. “Juliette, I think we need a DNA test.”
Her expression hardened instantly. “What? You think I’m lying? You just found out you have a child, and you’re already doubting me? You’re unbelievable, Arnie.”
“I just want to be certain,” I tried to explain, but she slammed the door in my face.
Defeated, I went home and told my mom everything. She listened quietly, then asked for Juliette’s number.
The next day, Juliette called. “Arnie? I’ve thought about it, and I understand. We’ll do the DNA test.”
Relief washed over me. “Thank you, Juliette.”
Sandy wasn’t thrilled about the whole situation, but she stood by me. “I love you, Arnie. God help me, I do. But I’m scared. I just hope this doesn’t change anything between us.”
I held her tightly
. “No matter what happens, you’re my family.”
The test results came in a week later. My heart pounded as I read the confirmation: Heidi was indeed my daughter. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think straight.
It was the beginning of a new chapter I never could have imagined. What do you think of the story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
