"Hi, Sophie!" a little girl chirped, darting out of the apartment ahead of her mother.
In her hands, she clutched a tiny toy locomotive and a bright plastic bucket overflowing with assorted sand molds.
"Hey, Veronica! Hello, Mrs. Miller!" the young woman opening the door to the neighboring apartment replied instantly.
She was balancing three bulging grocery bags that were clearly making it difficult for her to manage the lock.
"Oh, what have we here? Planning a grand feast or building an entire fortress in the sand?" Sophie asked with playful interest, crouching down to get a better look at the contents of the bucket.
"Yes! A feast! And castles! Mom’s taking me to the park. We’re meeting Leo there—can you believe it? We’ve never gone together before, and today we’re having a real competition! And I’m going to win!" the little girl boasted in a ringing voice.
"Good morning," the girl’s mother said with a polite smile.
She was trying to teach her daughter to be a bit more formal with adults, leading by example even though she was older than Sophie.
"Honestly, it’s Sunday and she hasn’t given me a moment's peace. Since first thing this morning, it’s been 'Let’s go!' and 'Come on!', and she won’t take no for an answer. At least the park is close, just a couple of blocks away. I don't know what the big deal is—as if they don’t get enough of that miserable sand at preschool or in the backyard," the woman said, shaking her head.
"But Mo-om! Everyone’s going to be there! How can I not go? They’ll laugh at me! And I have to win and show those smug boys. They think they’re better at everything!" the little girl insisted stubbornly.
"Well, don't let me down then! Go get 'em, especially the boys—show them what you’re made of! I’ll be crossing my fingers for you!" Sophie cheered. Privately, she felt a wave of relief that she hadn’t started a family of her own yet.
"Have a lovely day!" Mrs. Miller smiled, gently pulling her daughter by the hand, eager to get the unscheduled outing over with.
"Mom, what does 'crossing your fingers' mean?" came the muffled question from the hallway.
Sophie finally got her door open and hauled the heavy bags inside.
***
As she put the groceries away, Sophie reflected on life to the upbeat music playing from her phone, savoring the prospect of a few hours of peace. She worked at a clothing boutique on a four-on, four-off schedule, and lately, she’d had almost no time to herself.
"Oh, finally... a spa night just for me," she whispered happily, heading to the bathroom where she planned to relax thoroughly.
Rubbing scented oils into her skin, Sophie tried to push away the mountain of problems that had been piling up. The ridiculous sales targets at work that she couldn't seem to hit, the friction with her own mother—who still thought it was perfectly fine to constantly meddle in her daughter's affairs—the total lack of a dating life, the unattainable dreams of travel, and the never-ending credit card debt...
Yeah, quite the fairy tale. Was there actually anything good in her life?
Then, thoughts of little Veronica drifted back into her mind. The family had moved in next door three years ago. Before that, the apartment had been empty, and Sophie had initially tried to keep her distance from the intrusive neighbors. From the day they moved in, they had seemed far too noisy, especially with a small child’s constant, disgruntled crying. Moreover, Anna Miller—Veronica’s mom—was far too friendly. Compared to the other neighbors, who were usually somber and reclusive, the young woman stood out. Sophie, by nature, had always been a quiet, private person who couldn't stand parties, large crowds, or sudden loud noises, so she’d had no desire to socialize with the newcomers.
But years pass, and people have a way of growing on each other. Sophie didn't even realize how she had slowly befriended them, and now they had become a beacon of joy and positivity in her mundane life. Especially little Veronica, who was a fountain of inexhaustible childhood energy. At first, they saw each other often at the shop, then they started bumping into each other on walks around the neighborhood, and eventually, they took to visiting each other. Both of the girl's parents worked late, so occasionally Sophie would even help pick her up from daycare or watch her when she had a day off. She had never been a "kid person" and hated the noise that came with them, but Veronica could win over anyone, even the grumpiest adult. She would make up games for the two of them, but more often, she’d just draw or watch cartoons when she visited Sophie.
"Look, we made this in preschool today! Out of real dough, can you believe it? I wanted to eat it right away, but the teacher said it wasn't edible. I tried it anyway! It was gross, so salty—yuck!" The girl shared things with Sophie that she was afraid to tell her mother.
"Of course it was! It’s salt dough! Honestly, you... does your stomach hurt?" Sophie asked, worried.
"Nope, I spit it right into Leo’s pocket!" the little girl laughed, covering her face with her hand.
"And what is this? A bear, maybe?" Sophie tried to examine the figure, which could have passed for almost any animal.
"What! It’s an elephant! Only his trunk fell off, but it still looks like one, right?" the child exclaimed, offended.
"Oh, right, definitely. The missing trunk threw me off," Sophie tried to justify.
"Next time I'll write a label for you! I know almost all my letters now!" the girl decided.
"Really? Then how about I write them, and you tell me which letter is which?" Sophie suggested.
"Easy!"
That was how they amused themselves while waiting for the parents, who were often delayed by work. Sometimes the girl would get so caught up that she didn't want to go home, though her mother wouldn't allow sleepovers just yet.
"Niki! Honestly, enough whining, let’s go! Daddy’s home and he missed you! And I haven’t seen you all day! Give Sophie a break, she’s tired too after entertaining you all day!" her mother would plead, finally managing to coax her daughter back home.
There weren't two neighbors in the entire building who treated each other with such warmth. And if Sophie had initially doubted, thinking children only knew how to disrupt the peace, she was now convinced otherwise. Sophie herself was never one for wild parties or loud guests, which earned her the respect and affection of Veronica’s parents.
***
Their effortless friendship lasted nearly two years. But just when Sophie thought things would always be this way, she began to notice strange changes in her neighbors' behavior. Veronica shifted from a mischievous, cheerful girl into an unnervingly quiet and frightened child. Sophie tried to ask the girl about it, hoping to help, but got nowhere.
"Sweetie, what’s going on? Is someone picking on you at school? Those silly boys, right?" she asked.
"No, nothing like that. We’ve actually become friends lately," the girl replied readily.
"Something else then? Your parents? Did they have a fight and you think it’s your fault?" Sophie persisted.
"No, no, Sophie, Mom and Dad are great. They get along and never fight... at least, they’re sure I think that. But I can hear them whispering through the wall sometimes, even when I pretend I’m asleep. But it’s okay! I fight with Mom sometimes, too, but then I say sorry and we make up. I’m sure it’s the same with them."
"What is it then? Maybe they’re planning to give you a baby brother or sister? And you don’t want one?" Sophie asked cautiously, not quite sure why she was so invested.
On one hand, she was an outsider who shouldn't meddle in family business. On the other, she felt in her gut that something was wrong.
"I wouldn't have minded before. But Leo just got a baby brother, and he screams so loud! I even heard him when his mom brought the stroller to school. Leo was happy at first, but now he doesn't even get enough sleep, and I feel bad for him. So now I don't want any brothers—they’re yucky! But Mom and I haven't talked about that."
"What could it be..." Sophie muttered to herself.
***
One day, she cautiously brought it up with Veronica’s mother and was met with an unexpectedly sharp rebuff.
"Sophie! How could you ask me such things? And even worse, talk about it with a small child! You’re a grown woman; you should know perfectly well that this is none of your business! The fact that you’ve befriended my daughter gives you absolutely no right to pry into our private lives! I’ll be speaking with Veronica today; I think it’s best if you stop seeing her."
Sophie didn't even have time to respond. And what would she have said? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it? I'm just a fool who thought I could help?"
It was a mess.
For several days after that incident, they didn't see each other at all. Whenever Veronica tried to move toward Sophie, she was pulled back toward her own apartment, and sometimes she was even grounded and forbidden from going outside.
Then, things got even stranger. First, the sound of an actual argument between the adults drifted through the wall. Sophie tried to make out what was being said, but she couldn't tell if it was directed at the child or each other, and she couldn't catch a single word. Another day, she heard the front door slam twice, then saw Veronica’s father storming out of the building, looking furious. He slammed his car door so hard it sounded like the glass would shatter, then sped off and didn't return until morning.
Sophie began to fear that she was the reason for the rift in the family. She cursed herself a thousand times, wanting to go and apologize, but each time she told herself it might only make things worse.
"Why did I interfere? We lived perfectly fine as neighbors for so long—I just had to go and meddle! Now they’re fighting constantly," she told herself, biting her nails.
During the next row, the husband and wife stepped out onto the landing, presumably to avoid shouting in front of the child, and Sophie managed to catch a few snippets of their dialogue.
"How could you? What have you done? We’ll never get them off our backs now! What were you thinking?" the woman cried through tears.
"I... I thought... it wouldn't happen," the man stammered incoherently.
"We’ll have no life now! My mother told me, 'Come to me, I'll hide you from him,' and why didn't I listen!" Anna continued to sob.
Sophie realized then that she was unlikely the cause of their fighting. She even opened her door to say something, but the couple, hearing someone approaching, immediately retreated into their apartment, where they continued their argument in hushed tones.
***
Sophie worked for several days straight after that, doing nothing but worrying about Veronica and her parents. Her intuition told her they were in serious trouble, but she couldn't figure out what kind. Previously, she’d never seen these people so distressed. Then, on her long-awaited day off, she looked through the peephole and saw a suspicious-looking man leaving the neighbors' apartment. He looked quite respectable, dressed in a sleek suit with a shirt and tie, carrying a briefcase and smiling mysteriously. He was being seen out by Veronica’s father, who, by contrast, looked absolutely devastated. That was putting it mildly—the man looked like a ghost. Even without words, it was easy to see that this guest was the last person he wanted in his home.
Over the next few weeks, a motley crew of strangers began visiting the apartment almost daily. Sometimes they looked professional, like office workers or sales reps. Their conversations, which Sophie caught through the walls, seemed relatively calm. Other days, men with a thuggish appearance showed up: wearing leather jackets, with facial scars and bruised knuckles. They spat on the floor, stubbed out cigarettes on the stairs, and barely spoke like normal people, only glaring menacingly in every direction. Sophie couldn't hear what they were asking or offering, but the tone of their voices suggested a serious conflict.
Every week it got worse, though it seemed only Sophie noticed. The other neighbors either preferred to keep quiet or truly didn't see anything suspicious in these unusual visitors. Several times Sophie tried to speak to Veronica’s father about it:
"Hello! You’ve been having a lot of visitors lately, haven't you? Celebrating something? Relatives in town?"
"Yes, yes... distant relatives from out of state. We can't seem to get rid of them," the man sighed with a forced smile. "They keep inviting themselves over, and we don't have anywhere to put them."
Sophie could see he was lying, but she pretended to believe him; she didn't have much of a choice. Once, she noticed red stains on the stairs and dared to assume it was blood. The man looked incredibly embarrassed, avoided her gaze, and mumbled something about tripping and hitting his nose before rushing away. Later, his wife made it very clear to Sophie again that prying was unwelcome.
"Sophie, I thought we understood each other, and here you go again!" she said sternly.
"I know, I remember, but this is a shared hallway and we should help each..." Sophie started to explain.
"We’ll clean it up, don’t worry. And you know, maybe you should spend less time watching how others live and more time focusing on your own life," she continued.
"Of course, but I’m just so worried! For you, for Veronica! We became such good friends, and now we barely speak—I’m worried. I’m sure she misses it too. Just know that if you need anything, I’m always here to help! Any favor at all!" Sophie said from the heart, wringing her hands.
"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. Good day," the woman’s tone softened.
For a moment, it seemed she was about to say more, but she turned and left the landing.
***
Months went by, and Sophie noticed the neighbors looked worse with every encounter. Veronica seemed to be dressed in poorer quality clothes, she hardly ever played outside anymore, and deep dark circles had appeared under her eyes—either from lack of sleep or something worse. The parents looked despondent even when they weren't arguing, and then Veronica’s father started drinking. Even though he wasn't aggressive, it added to the gloom.
Then, one spring evening, Sophie found Veronica alone on the stairs. The girl was sitting on the bottom step, hugging her knees with her small arms, on the verge of tears.
"Niki? What are you doing out here? Waiting for your parents?" Sophie asked, glancing toward the girl's apartment.
The door was locked, and there was no sound of adults inside.
"I’m just sitting here," the girl said, trying to put on a brave face.
"Why? Did you get locked out?" Sophie asked, worried.
"No, nothing like that. Mom and Dad just told me to hide; we play like that sometimes. I was in the next building, and when I came back, they weren't home anymore."
"How long have you been sitting here alone? On the stairs, no less! Come over to my place, at least I can get you some tea," Sophie directed.
She couldn't imagine where the parents had vanished to, but she decided that regardless of the neighbors' drama, she couldn't leave a child alone.
The girl agreed quickly and happily. They went into Sophie’s apartment, made tea, and started chatting about nothing, just like they used to when Sophie was babysitting her.
But time passed, the sun began to set, and no one came for Veronica. Sophie knocked on the neighbors' door several times and even called the mother’s phone, but there was no answer. By eleven o'clock at night, her anxiety was through the roof. Sophie didn't know what to do, but Veronica begged her to just wait. Like any child, she was sure her parents would be back soon. Eventually, the girl lay down on Sophie’s sofa and slept soundly until morning.
***
No one showed up the next day, or the day after. The phones were disconnected, so Sophie had to take the little girl to daycare herself. Fortunately, the staff knew her and remembered her well. Unexpectedly, Veronica moved into the apartment next door. Sophie enjoyed looking after her and was surprised by how easy and interesting it was to be with a child. The girl was almost self-sufficient; she could heat up her own food and wasn't afraid to stay home alone. She flourished before Sophie’s eyes. The guardedness in her speech vanished, the dark circles disappeared, her complexion improved, and she even looked like she’d gained a few healthy pounds—something the daycare staff noted happily. Sophie had to lie and say the parents were away on a long trip and had left her as a nanny. Since the child didn't show any fear or suspicion, no one suspected a thing.
At some point, Sophie began to think the parents had abandoned her entirely. She realized with a start that she didn't want to let her go—she already felt like the girl was her own. Several times she tried to talk to Veronica about her mom and dad, mentioning the need to go to the authorities to find them. These people hadn't shown any desire to give up their daughter before; something had clearly happened, and it couldn't just be ignored. Veronica kept insisting that they didn't need the police and that she didn't want to go to foster care. She was certain she would be taken away from Sophie, and she was right. She insisted her parents had never hurt her, that they’d just had problems lately. The girl defended them fiercely, believing her mom and dad could never just leave her. And she was right.
Nearly two months later, Veronica’s parents were found outside the city. Luckily, both were still alive when they were stumbled upon by a group of hikers. The father was badly beaten and barely conscious, while the mother was delirious, repeating her daughter's address and begging for someone to take care of her. It turned out the couple had been hunted for debts all year. They had taken out loans a long time ago and thought they’d paid them off, only to find out they owed several banks a fortune in interest. Debt collectors had come, threatening violence and even promising to kidnap and torture the child, but fortunately, that hadn't happened.
On that fateful day, they knew they were coming again and were planning to run, so they told the little girl to hide. But they were just a few minutes too late; she was left alone while they were forced into a car with tinted windows before anyone could see. Luckily, Veronica knew exactly where to go, and Sophie hadn't turned her away. Anna Miller called Sophie herself once she was somewhat stable in the hospital. In a trembling voice, she asked if she’d seen Veronica, and only found peace when she was certain her daughter was safe. Words couldn't describe how happy the parents were to see the girl or how much they thanked Sophie. Sophie just brushed it off, blinking back tears, happy that the family was finally reunited. The attackers were caught a few months later and are now behind bars.
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