Faith, a modest woman in her fifties, had worked for years at a glass manufacturing plant. The assembly line was grueling and hazardous, and she felt a profound sense of relief when she finally reached retirement. She decided then to fulfill a lifelong dream: moving to the countryside to live close to nature.
The savings she had tucked away over thirty years of labor were just enough. She found the perfect spot quickly—a small cottage with a neat, well-tended garden. Looking it over, Faith knew it was exactly what she needed. The village was quiet, nestled near a forest and a lake, and the property featured beautiful blooming lilacs. It didn't matter that the house only had two rooms; as a woman living alone, how much space did she really need?
Once the paperwork was finalized, she packed her belongings, left the factory dorms, and set out. Upon arriving at her new home, her first priority was a deep clean. As she washed the windows and cleared dust from forgotten corners, she felt a surge of joy watching the empty, lonely house transform. Faith was happy; she finally had a place of her own. When the indoor chores were finished, she stepped into the garden to rest and admire the mallows growing by the fence. Sitting on a bench beneath the lilacs, she began to daydream.
Faith was nearly drifting off in the fresh air when she heard children's voices near the edge of the property.
"Kevin, hurry up! Let's hide in the bathhouse! Come on, move! Just leave that rabbit behind!"
Faith peered over the fence and saw a girl of about six. She was thin, barefoot, and dragging a younger brother along. The boy was resisting, kicking and whimpering, his tears smearing the dirt on his face. Finally, he found his toy in the bushes—a tattered, filthy stuffed rabbit with a missing leg. Once he had it, he quieted down and wobbled after his sister. No sooner had they ducked behind the corner of the bathhouse than a shrill, angry voice rang out:
"You little brat! Why did you steal money from your mother? When I find you, I'm going to give you such a thrashing you'll never touch someone else's money again! Don't you dare show your face back home, you little brat!"
Faith was stunned by the scene. She quickly opened the door to her own outdoor bathhouse and ushered the terrified children inside, slipping in after them. The interior was dark and dusty. Fumbling for the switch, she turned on the light and saw a pile of old, dirty rags in the corner under the ceiling. Sitting atop them were the two children, pale with fear.
"Ma'am, please turn off the light! They'll find us," the thin girl pleaded.
She wrapped the rags around her shivering brother. He was shaking, though whether from fear or the cold, it was hard to tell. Faith quickly flipped the switch back off.
"Why are you hiding here?" Faith whispered.
"I took fifty cents from my mom," the girl explained. "Kevin hasn't eaten since yesterday, and I wanted to buy him some bread."
"And what about you?"
"Yesterday I found a bunch of cans and bottles by the general store, so Mom let me eat. But my brother started crying when one of the men came over, and Mom got mad at him."
Faith was horrified. In the darkness, she couldn't see the girl or her trembling brother clearly, but she could hear the girl softly singing an old nursery rhyme into the boy's ear.
"Wait here," Faith commanded. "I'm going to look outside. If no one is looking for you anymore, we're going into the house where it's warm."
"Ma'am, you won't hurt us? You won't hit us?"
Faith felt a cold sweat break out.
"No. My name is Faith, and I don't hit children."
***
The search had ended; evidently, the mother had found more interesting things to do.
Faith's first move was to sit the children by the stove to warm up. Kevin, who was about three, was initially afraid of the stranger and hid behind his protective sister. The girl stroked his head to calm him while dressing him in one of Faith's warm sweaters and thick wool socks. Once her brother was cared for, the girl began to settle in herself. While Faith heated up some soup and beef stew, the girl rubbed her own frozen hands and feet.
Seeing the way the boy lunged at the food made Faith burst into tears. The children ate every last bit, leaving not a single crumb.
Full and exhausted, the children lay down on the sofa and fell asleep. After tucking them in with a blanket, Faith decided to pay their parents a visit. Recalling the direction of the harsh shouting, she made her way over. Walking through a yard overgrown with weeds and littered with trash, Faith entered the house. Her heart sank at the sight of the children's living conditions. On a sagging, filthy sofa lay the woman who had been screaming at the children now sleeping in Faith's home.
Faith tried to wake her. It took a long time for the woman to stir, and when she finally did, she cursed Faith out. But Faith persisted.
"Were you looking for your kids? How can you treat them like this? You're their mother! They're half-starved and wearing summer clothes in the middle of autumn! Here, take these fifty cents and just leave the girl alone."
"You mean Lily? What business is it of yours? She stole from me! There's soup in the kitchen I made last week, they can eat that! They don't need to be begging from neighbors and embarrassing me!"
The woman began a drunken tirade against the neighbors and Faith for waking her, then promptly started snoring again. Faith, shaken by what she had seen, hurried back home to the children. They were still asleep, huddled together. Lily was the first to wake up.
"Ma'am, it's so nice here. And so clean..."
Faith stroked her hair. "Your name is Lily, right?"
The girl nodded.
"I've baked some pies. Come, let's eat."
The girl followed Faith into the kitchen. While devouring the pie and some sweets, she told Faith about her life.
Through the girl's rambling story, Faith gathered that her mother hadn't always been an alcoholic. Once, their home had been full of food, clean, and happy. But then her mother met a man who drank heavily, and she began to drink as well. When she got pregnant, the man abandoned her, and Sarah spiraled further. She turned to the bottle more often and cared for the children less. Over the last year, she had completely lost herself. Various men and women would cycle through the house; sometimes they'd bring a treat or an apple, and the children would eat. But Kevin, who was non-verbal, would sometimes scream so loudly that the men would get scared and leave, which made their mother angry with him.
"Don't you have any grandparents, or aunts, or anyone? Does no one help you?" Faith asked, unable to believe these children had been left so utterly alone.
"Nope," the girl replied, finishing her roll.
A plaintive cry came from the bedroom. Lily ran to Kevin and carried him into the kitchen. Once the little boy had calmed down and Lily sat him down to eat, she looked at Faith.
"Miss Faith, please don't lock the bathhouse, okay? We'll come back there."
Faith tried to convince the girl to stay longer, but Lily refused. Their mother didn't like it when they were gone too long. Someone had to collect the bottles and cans, after all.
***
Lily picked up her brother and headed home. Faith, having learned the location of the local council from her neighbors, went to see the town supervisor. She was met by an elderly man with tired eyes. He listened intently to her account of the children and then directed her to Child Protective Services in the city, saying:
"It's the country; a lot of people drink out here. There's no work. Maybe you're worrying over nothing? But go ahead and see the agency in the city; it's their department."
He scribbled an address on a piece of paper and apologized, saying he couldn't do anything else.
Frustrated but determined, Faith traveled to the city. After taking the bus to the right stop, she spent a long time searching for the office. When she finally found it, the staff was on their lunch break. A security guard showed her to an office where three women were drinking tea and laughing, gossiping about a coworker's personal life.
"Ma'am, can't you see we're on lunch?" a tall, fashionably dressed young woman snapped at Faith.
"But it's urgent! And I'm very tired, I traveled all the way from the village," Faith said, breathless as she sat in a chair.
"Well, then sit in the hallway and rest!"
The woman waited for Faith to leave before slamming the door. Faith could hear them continuing their gossip through the door. The weary traveler had no choice but to wait.
When Faith finally got back into the office, she described little Lily and her brother, their living conditions, and their mother's behavior.
"The girl is the only one taking care of her non-verbal brother. She's thin as a rail, has dark circles under her eyes, and she's out collecting bottles and weeding neighbors' gardens just to get money for her mother's drinking! Please, help them. They have no one."
"And what exactly do you want from us? Should we stand guard at her door and keep strangers out?" one of the women sneered. "Or should I go over there with a mop and clean the place myself? You say they have no one—then who are you?"
"I'm their neighbor."
"And you're too stingy to feed the neighbor's kids?" the red-haired woman challenged, staring Faith down. "You think if we take them away from their mother right now, they'll be happy? Who's going to take them? The girl is six; kids that old rarely get adopted. And the disabled ones? No one wants them."
"He just doesn't talk."
"Disabled, non-verbal, what's the difference?" The woman began shuffling folders from one stack to another, making it clear she was done.
"Then can I take them in?" Faith asked, the idea striking her in the moment. "I'll adopt them. They'll be happy with me!" Faith could already see the three of them living together, her caring for them and giving them fresh milk from a goat.
The women burst into laughter.
"Ma'am, are you out of your mind? How old are you? Fifty? Sixty? Who's going to give children to someone your age? Do you even have indoor plumbing?"
"The bathroom is outside," Faith answered, her voice sinking.
"And is your pension large?"
"No, it's just a standard pension, about four hundred dollars."
"Then you'd better go home and talk to the mother yourself. Until a police officer contacts us with a report of physical abuse or a hospital calls, we don't go out. The kids are growing, aren't they? They aren't complaining about being hit. If she starts hitting them, call the police, and they'll notify us. Goodbye!"
Faith rode the bus home in tears. She stared out the window at the passing streets and cars, unable to understand why there was so much injustice in the world. Why did God give children to people like that woman—people who didn't love or value them—while she, an honest and kind woman who had lived with a diagnosis of infertility her whole life, wasn't even allowed to look after them?
***
Returning home, she found Lily and Kevin in the bathhouse again. It was clear they had been waiting for her. Their eyes lit up when Faith brought them into the house and set out the treats she'd bought in the city. Apples, pears, chocolates, and gummies vanished from the table in an instant.
And so it continued. The children went back to their mother to sleep, but every morning they ran to Faith. Having never been able to have her own child, Faith loved them as if they were her own—perhaps even more. At first, they were shy and didn't understand why this woman would hug them or stroke their hair. It was foreign to them that someone would reach out to caress them rather than strike them.
To make sure the children were better fed, Faith got a goat named Molly and three laying hens. Kevin fed them grain and grass, while Lily went to the meadow for clover. In the evenings, tucked into an armchair by the stove, the children drank tea and listened to Faith read them fairy tales. They were so quiet and obedient; it seemed they were afraid of upsetting this gentle woman.
But Faith knew she didn't have forever. Knowing this, she tried to find the children's relatives, but with no luck. The neighbors and the town supervisor only knew that Sarah had arrived in the village alone, without a husband, bought the house, and brought Lily there a week later. Then she had started drinking.
Faith wanted to find the children's documents in Sarah's house, but the woman wouldn't let her in. When Sarah realized Faith was looking for paperwork, she began to threaten her.
"You old hag! Thinking you can get your hands on my welfare checks? Don't you come near my house! And give me my kids back, you hear me?"
"I don't want your money, Sarah," Faith tried to speak calmly, handing the woman a bottle. "I just don't have children of my own and I'm lonely. Yours are so well-behaved and help me with the animals," she explained gently. "Maybe they could just live with me for a while, and they won't be in your way. You could focus on your own life—you're still young, Sarah!"
The woman shifted her shoulders awkwardly, adjusting her greasy old robe.
"You bet I will! I've got plenty of guys interested," Sarah winked. "Fine, take 'em. If they're such a help, pay me... what do you call it? Rent. Bring me a case of vodka every month for the girl, and you can have the idiot for free."
And so they struck a deal. It was hard for the elderly woman to pay such a ransom from her modest pension, but she decided to get more goats and chickens so she could go to the city and sell milk and eggs at the market. She and Lily went to the woods for mushrooms and berries, and they made birch whisks to sell to the city saunas.
They didn't have much money, but they lived with love and care. A month later, Faith took Kevin to the city to see a doctor. In his entire life, the boy had never been to a physician, and he was frightened by the strange tools. But he was no longer the hunted, downtrodden child he had been. He simply took Faith's hand and calmly went through the procedures.
"Are you his grandmother?" the doctor asked, examining the boy closely. "I don't see any abnormalities. Has he been non-verbal since birth? Does he make sounds if he falls or gets hurt?"
"Yes."
"Are the parents stable? Was he traumatized as an infant?"
Faith hesitated. She knew she had no legal right to Kevin, but she decided to trust the pleasant, motherly doctor and told her everything. The woman listened, sighing deeply.
"You have a kind heart, Faith. I wish there were more people like you. By all appearances, the boy is healthy; he's just afraid or hasn't learned how to speak. You say he's only been with you for three months? Let's wait a bit longer, and if there's no progress, we'll decide what to do next. Here," the doctor wrote down a number. "This is my cell phone. If the children get sick, call me. I'm a pediatrician, too. I'll stop by when I'm in your village to check on the girl as well."
Faith thanked her warmly and hurried home to share the good news with Lily. The girl was so happy she couldn't sit still. She led the boy around, pointing at things and coaxing him: "Say: Sky. Grass. Geese. Mama Faith."
Together, they decided they would talk to the boy constantly, and after selling another batch of birch whisks, they bought him musical toys. Time flowed on with its share of joys and struggles. Lily started attending the local school. Although she was behind her classmates, she worked hard to make her "Mama Faith" proud.
One day, Dr. Miller, the specialist from the city, visited. she examined the children and showed Lily and Faith exercises to help Kevin start speaking. She began visiting frequently. When the five-year-old finally spoke his first word, Dr. Miller threw a celebration, bringing candy, soda, and toys. Handing the boy a new plush rabbit, she hugged him and said:
"Kevin, I brought you a new friend! Look how soft he is, and he even talks! We'll put your old rabbit on the shelf so he can rest—he's getting old!"
But the boy only hugged his old toy tighter. He never went anywhere without it.
***
The family lived in peace and quiet for eight more years. The children helped Mama Faith with everything, and she gave them all the love she had saved up, considering them her own. Things might have stayed that way if Sarah hadn't suddenly remembered them. Not on her own, of course—someone had put the idea in her head.
One evening, while drinking with her usual crowd, she bragged about how she had "rented out" her kids for a case of vodka a month.
"For one case? Are you stupid?" a man said. "That old lady is rich now. I saw a new TV being delivered to her place. You should get more! That girl is turning into a real beauty, too."
Sarah, outraged that she was being "underpaid," marched over to Faith's house. At first, she didn't recognize her own daughter. The clean, healthy-looking girl looked nothing like the Lily who used to collect bottles for her. Lily, seeing her mother swaying at the gate, grew wary and called for her brother.
"Kevin, get inside and watch some cartoons!"
"Okay, I'll just feed the dog and be right there!"
The boy ran past the gate and, seeing the woman standing there, politely greeted her: "Hello!"
Sarah was so surprised she almost forgot why she had come. "Is that Kevin? But he was a mute!"
"He was mute while he lived with you, Sarah," Faith said, approaching the gate. "Why are you here?"
"You old thief! You took my kids and now you're living off them!" Sarah screamed. She picked up a stick and brandished it at Faith. Fortunately, the neighbors intervened, dragging the hysterical woman back to her house. But Faith... Faith clutched her heart and began to sink to the ground.
"I hope you drop dead, you old hag!" Sarah screamed down the street. "You'll find out what happens when you steal kids from their mother!"
Whether it was the shock of the threats or the weight of the curse, Faith fell ill. She made it back to her bed and never got up again. The next morning, when Lily woke up to milk the goats, she found her Mama Faith had passed away. She sat there, clinging to the woman's cold hand, and wept bitterly.
***
The whole village attended Faith's funeral. Even the town supervisor came to help with money and food. He asked Lily and Kevin how they planned to live now. Though Lily was sixteen and Kevin twelve, they couldn't stay alone.
"We'll manage, Mr. Stevens. Mama Faith set everything up so well; she left us the house and the animals. And Dr. Miller checks on us often. We're old enough," Lily said, trying to stay composed for Kevin's sake.
"You might be able to manage, but you don't have the legal right to live alone. Child Protective Services came to see me yesterday. You have a choice, Lily: go back to your mother, or go into the foster system."
Just then, Dr. Miller stepped forward. "Where do you think you're taking these children? Why should they go to a group home? I'll apply for guardianship myself! Let them live in peace—Faith worked so hard for them, and she left them this home."
"That's not for me to decide, Doctor. Talk to the agency. If they agree, I'm all for it."
But the agency refused. The reason was the same: age. But Dr. Miller wasn't giving up. She took a leave of absence from work and began visiting every government office, writing letters to committees for children's rights. She rallied the entire village to help when the authorities came for the children.
When the representatives arrived, the villagers were waiting. They surrounded the porch and blocked the way. Even the local police officer didn't try very hard to help the officials. For the moment, Lily and Kevin were safe, but the authorities persisted. Police cruisers began coming by every day, and the children had to hide with neighbors.
Dr. Miller organized a protest in front of the local administration building. They carried signs with photos of Kevin and Lily and petitions signed by the entire village promising to support the children. A photo of Lily and Kevin, with Kevin clutching his old one-eared rabbit, made the evening news. It aired during prime time and was seen across the state. People were outraged.
While the story was playing, a woman in another city was preparing dinner. She whispered, "Lord, have mercy," and ran to the screen.
"Lily!" she sobbed. Her legs gave out, and she sank to the floor, terrified she'd miss a single frame. An hour later, she packed a bag and told her family, "I'm going to get Lily!"
***
At that same hour, Lily and Kevin were in Dr. Miller's kitchen, reminiscing about Mama Faith.
"You know, Dr. Miller," Lily said, "when I was hiding in the bathhouse, I used to pray that no one would ever move into that house. I was so foolish. And then Mama Faith came... I think God brought her to our village to save us. We were so happy together." The girl began to cry.
"I know, Lily. I know how much you loved her. Don't blame yourself. She couldn't have found better children than you."
"I remember in third grade, I tried to bake her a birthday cake while she was sleeping. I messed up the oven and it burned. I started crying, and she came over, looked at the burnt cake, and started crying too. I didn't understand then why she did that. I think I do now. Mama Faith is gone, but she left so much goodness behind."
They sat together until there was a knock at the door. It was a neighbor from the village who had been part of the protest.
"Doctor, a woman arrived at Sarah's house. She's screaming at her and demanding to see Lily. Sarah even kicked all her drinking buddies out and is actually crying. You should come see."
Dr. Miller agreed. When they arrived at Sarah's house, they saw the woman. She was indeed berating Sarah, threatening her with lawsuits and investigations. Seeing the doctor, Sarah pointed at her and said, "There. She's the one hiding Lily!"
The woman, whose name was Sophia, rushed over. "Where is she? Where is my Lily?"
"And who are you?" Dr. Miller asked sternly.
"I'm her grandmother! I'm the mother of her father, Anthony!"
The woman began to cry as she shared their family history. Her son, Anthony, had been troubled and hadn't changed even after marrying Sarah. When Lily was two, Anthony was sent to prison. Sarah, deciding not to wait for him, packed up and left without a word. She had been afraid of his temper when he got out, so she disappeared. Sophia had searched for her daughter-in-law and granddaughter for years but never found them.
But watching the news the night before, she had seen the boy and girl, and the boy was holding Lily's rabbit—the one Sophia had sewn herself from an old curtain. She looked closer and recognized her lost granddaughter. To prove it, she had brought photos of Lily as a toddler.
Dr. Miller looked at the photos and recognized Lily instantly. As they drove to the children, Dr. Miller told Sophia their whole story. Sophia turned pale, then wept, then rejoiced.
"You understand, Lily has a brother... she loves him and will never leave him," Dr. Miller explained.
Sophia smiled through her tears. "That's wonderful! I went from having no grandchildren to having two all at once!"
When they walked into the house, Lily and Kevin were asleep. Dr. Miller watched as the grandmother looked at Lily, thanking God and weeping with joy. She knew then that the children would finally be alright.
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