Eleanor feels successful in her job as a devoted grandmother who will be there for her granddaughter when she eventually becomes a grandmother. He watches Lily’s development from newborn to determined toddler. But one day, when Eleanor arrives to pick Lily up from daycare, she’s startled by what she sees—a spectacle of cops, the news, and throngs of parents.
The only thing I could think about after my daughter Cassie got married was Grandma. Mom, just take it easy,” Cassie said. “Neither you nor I should be in a rush to become parents. You’ll simply have to take care of the baby sooner.” which is what I meant.
Even though I knew Cassie was just as excited to be a mother, she would still make fun of me. or to be able to love what she created, at the very least.
Ultimately, my desire to become a grandmother came from my desire to simply relax and spoil a baby, much like my mother did for Cassie when she was younger.
When my daughter found out after two years of marriage that Cassie and David were expecting their second child, I was overwhelmed with happiness.
I was finally going to be a grandmother. I could continue preparing her home-cooked meals and knitting clothes for the baby; this is the grandma I wanted to be.
Cassie smiled and sat down at my dining room table to start eating the tacos she had been craving since morning. “You got your wish,” she said.
She said, “But Mom, I’m going to need your help.”
“Of course honey,” I told her.
“No, Mom,” she murmured. “I need you to understand that this is serious. I’m dreading it and David works out of town most of the time so with the constant traveling I’m going to need you.”
I assured Cassie that I would always be there for her, ready to help whenever she needed it. Just as my mother was in mine, I wanted to share in her pregnancy.
I cherished the whole experience of getting pregnant with Cassie. But I was also cautious. and scared. and since my husband was fired from his job at the time, he spent most of those months worrying about our financial situation.
When a craving hit, I used to chase it away by ignoring it unless it was something I could get at home. I didn’t want to spend money on something I would only use temporarily.
But now that my baby was expecting, I was determined to prove myself right and do everything in my power for Cassie. I would give her every chocolate bar she wanted.
Lily was born eight months later. Although Cassie didn’t know what the name was, she decided after seeing a bouquet of lilies that her office donated to the hospital.
“It’s Lily,” she commented with a smile as she handed the baby to me.
My daughter and son-in-law lived about thirty minutes away from me, but Cassie asked me to move in when Lily was a few months old and David’s profession returned to its long hours and frequent travel.
“Please, Mom,” she said one evening when I was spending the weekend with her and she was feeding the baby.
“You’re alone in the apartment and you spend more time here than there anyway. I don’t want to be alone with the baby when David isn’t here. I’m too nervous to leave her alone for even a moment.” “
I asked, trying not to step on my son-in-law’s toes or stay too long. “And what will David say?”
“It was his idea,” Cassie murmured, gently shifting the baby onto her shoulder. At that moment, I moved out of the apartment and started living like a grandmother.
Lily was the baby I looked after and when she grew up to be a bright almost five-year-old I picked her up from nursery which she absolutely loved. I loved every minute of Lily’s existence.
My daily schedule was simple: I taught English online during the day and took care of homework so Cassie wouldn’t have to. But then I would jump in the car and head to Lily’s nursery school. We cherished the afternoon spent together. Before returning home, we sometimes went to buy food and explore the parks.
But recently we began to venture into bookstores, discovering the worlds that lay between the pages of countless books, and marveling at Lily’s amazing early reading comprehension. Today though, I had a weird knot in my gut as I drove to daycare to pick Lily up, I wanted to pick her up and take her for ice cream after school. I had an unsettling feeling that something was just going on.
Whenever I arrived at the nursery, parents and children were usually jostling to let the paint flow freely. All the children were ready to share with their parents the details of their day and the refreshments they had prepared. But when I came here today, the air was eerily gloomy.
There was none of the usual boisterous banter, just tight faces and hushed whispers.
When Gloria, the childcare worker, saw me come through the door, she was ghostly pale and her voice was a frightened whisper as she quickly dragged me away. “Eleanor,” she said, looking anxious. “Something happened. Please come with me.”
My throat almost tightened and my heart raced. All I could do was wonder if Lily was okay. Gloria led me into the preschool office, where parents and police officers were gathered around a screen showing a live meeting with the town’s mayor. The atmosphere was filled with a palpable sense of unease.
My heart was in my mouth as I pushed through the crowd to get a closer look. But Lily was nowhere to be found.
The mayor’s voice boomed from the television, “…and with heavy hearts and loss of innocence we discuss the brave deeds of one of our youngest from Daydream Daycare.”
I turned to Gloria as my anxiety increased.
“What happened? I asked, ‘How is Lily?’
Gloria smiled a little and nodded at me.
“She’s fantastic! Eleanor just saw something, that’s all.”
“What?” May I ask what Lily saw to justify all of this?” I asked.”
Gloria pulled me away once more and whispered, “Come on, I’ll show you.”
Gloria opened a video on her iPad as we emerged from the crowd of parents and stood in the corner of the room.
She held up the iPad and said, “Look.”
She pressed play and a video began playing of Mr. Henderson, a care worker, surreptitiously placing several small, sealed packages into another worker’s bag.
I had to squint my eyes to see what was going on because I didn’t have my glasses on.
The small packets looked like powdered cocaine; I’ve seen enough documentaries to recognize illegal substances when I see them.
Is it what I believe it is? I asked surprised.
“It’s illegal,” Gloria said. “But we are still waiting for confirmation as to what substance it is.
Lily’s tiny hand found mine beside me.
“Nano,” she called to me, tugging at my dress.
“I watched him hide them behind the block storage. I informed Ms. Jenna that I didn’t feel good about it.”
And Ms. Jenna, who addressed Gloria, added her voice.
“We believed it was a miscommunication,” Jenna noted. “After all, it was the last thing we expected to happen. Therefore, we assumed that Lily saw something else. But I wasn’t comfortable with what she said about the powder in the bags.’
Coincidentally, Jenna went to the Director of Child Care and asked to see the CCTV footage from Lily’s classroom.
Seemingly to explain why the children are constantly being watched by cameras, Gloria said: “You know we check our footage whenever there are any incidents with children so we know how to handle any situation.”
“So we checked the cameras and Lily was right,” Jenna replied.
The director, a typically calm individual, approached us to engage in conversation with a grim expression of determination.
“We found out that Mr. Henderson was hiding illegal drugs here because of what Lily saw.
We found out he was selling narcotics on the edge of our property when he wasn’t working at the nursery.”
“What?” | she gasped, causing Lily to tighten her grip on my hand. “What now?”
“The police were called immediately, Eleanor,” Gloria replied. “And he was arrested.
I dropped to my knees and hugged Lily, tears welling up in my eyes as I breathed in her scent – her scent and the soap controlling my nostrils.
I was shocked by what happened and amazed at how brave Lily was to assert her independence when it didn’t seem appropriate.
“I’m so proud of you for speaking up,” I said.
She clung to me tightly and I knew my granddaughter had no idea what was going on around her; if she thought she stopped the teacher who was behaving inappropriately after seeing it.
Lily commented, “I remembered what you said, Nano.”
“That if something feels wrong, we need to tell someone because it could save a life.”
I grinned.
That was the lesson from the story we read a few nights ago, and I mentioned it to her.
Murmurs of appreciation and concern filled the room around us; the mayor praised Lily’s bravery and attentiveness, and the parents talked about the young lady and expressed gratitude for her sharp eyes.
“We want Lily to know that we are forever grateful that she ended this danger,” Gloria stated.
We then went back to Lily’s classroom to get her backpack before heading home.
Would you like an ice cream? I asked her, wondering what was going through her mind.
She said, “No,” from the back seat. “Let’s go home.”
When we got home I gave Lily some fruit and we sat on the couch and talked about her day.
“You are a true hero, Lily,” I replied. “You helped keep everyone safe.
My granddaughter smiled, leaned closer, and nodded softly and meaningfully.
“You know, Nano, like the heroes in our stories?” “May I ask?” she asked.
“Just like them,” he assured her.
The nursery honored Lily’s bravery with a small ceremony at the end of the week.
Gloria commented, “We just want her to know how much we appreciate what she’s done. It’s important that these kids know how valuable they are.”
There are no words to express how much I adore and appreciate my granddaughter. However, the new problem requires Cassie to justify why keeping Lily in preschool is the wisest solution.
He believes that Lily is not safe anywhere on Earth.
how would you answer
Here’s another story if you liked this one.
When I finally met my daughter’s bus driver, I understood why he still carries an incredibly heavy backpack to school.
Juliet is a single mother who enjoys being the sole carer of her nine-year-old daughter River.
River challenges her to improve. After a while, however, Juliet begins to see Rivera’s fiery independence take over—she wants more responsibility and freedom. However, when Juliet learns of a secret connected to Rivera’s backpack, a secret companion is revealed.
Being a single mother in the suburbs means walking a tightrope between happiness, coffee, and juggling. My name is Juliet as a financial advisor and I am working hard to develop a job that will provide a great future for my nine-year-old daughter River.
My greatest pride and joy, River is as free-spirited and flowing as her name suggests. It is the greatest blessing I could ever imagine. I have taken on all the parenting duties since my husband left us when River was a toddler and moved to another state.
“At least this way,” my mom said as she fed River, “you don’t have to worry about your daughter learning to lie and cheat on Richards. She’s all yours and you can shape her how you want.”
The best part was that I had a bad connection with Rivera’s father because he was always targeting other women. I was relieved when he came out.
All mine would be my daughter. And I could show her how to survive in a world where cunning men lurk around every corner.
With the childcare and constant help from my mother, River matured quickly and her independence grew as she went through the school day.
However, our weekends were sacred mother-daughter time, during which my daughter regaled me with stories about her school friends, treats she still enjoys, and tastes she’s outgrown.
We spent hours doing puzzles, watching movies, and snacking on popcorn.
I treasured moments like that above all else.
A few weeks ago, while we were having dinner together, River started filling me in on all the recent happenings at school. River mentioned the new bus driver she liked and the nice music teacher who taught them how to play the drums, her eyes shining with pleasure.
“Mom, those notes are extremely accurate,” she remarked gravely. “It’s not just about banging drums and making noises.
I found her tone really funny.
“Yes,” I said. “If not, it would just be noise, wouldn’t it?”
She replied and sipped her juice, “Yes!”
River then explained the extracurricular activities in detail and asked her to join.
“Okay,” I said, appreciating her growing enthusiasm for school-related activities. “What are you thinking about? Drama? Art?”
As she ate the broccoli, River sat down and thought about it for a moment.
“Art club, I believe,” she said.
I said, “Tomorrow we will go out and buy art supplies.”
River exclaimed, “I’m so excited about this!”
My relief that River would have something productive to do while I was still at work was obvious.
River and I went to get the things she needed for her art the next morning. River first took a few things and then started replicating the materials. I had nothing to ask her.
-River was beaming with happiness and I didn’t want to break her bubble.
Then, when River was outgrowing dresses like crazy, we went to buy her some new ones. Once again she proceeded to obtain more copies of the garment.
However, I didn’t want to burst her bubble once again.
Full of responsibility, River announced one morning that she wanted to become more independent by packing her own lunches.
As I prepared River’s daily lunch, I prepared her cereal and juice for breakfast at the counter.
She firmly said, “Mom, I think I should start packing my own lunches,” as she watched me assemble her sandwich.
“That’s a great idea, River. I’m so proud of you for taking this step,” I replied, boosting her confidence in her own abilities. “But you’ll have to ask me for help with the knife stuff.
Our routine continued as usual. After breakfast together, I led River to our front yard, where she was picked up by a yellow school bus.
But a few days ago, something changed.
I asked River to put her backpack down once we reached the bench my father had set up in our backyard so I could help her get into her jacket.
She winced a little when I tapped her on the back a few moments later as I zipped up my jacket.
“What is wrong?” I asked right away.
The mother in me rose in concern as River shrugged and shrugged in discomfort like the weight of her textbooks. Rivera’s face was hidden.
As a mother, my instincts told me there was more to it than River was letting on. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. So when River went to bed, I decided to check her backpack to see what made it so heavy.
What I found surprised and moved me. Among her textbooks and art supplies were a few small packages of food and a few pieces of clothing, obviously items intended for someone else. Next to them were hand-drawn pictures and notes River had written expressing kindness and support.
The next morning I gently asked River about the extra stuff in her bag. She hesitated at first, but then opened up and explained that she had befriended a new bus driver named Mr. Thompson, who had recently lost his home and was living out of his car. River overheard him discussing his situation with another adult and decided to help him in her own way, packing extra lunches and bringing some of her old clothes and her drawings to cheer him up.
My heart swelled with pride and a little sadness. My little girl had such a big heart and learned the value of empathy and generosity in a way that many adults never do. However, I knew this was a situation that required adult intervention.
After I dropped River off at school, I called the school administration and made an appointment. I explained the situation to the principal who was affected by Rivera’s actions and he assured me that they would look for ways to help Mr. Thompson more officially.
A few days later, the school organized a support event for Mr Thompson, collecting contributions from the community to help him get back on his feet. They also ensured he had access to the necessary resources to find stable housing. River was thrilled to see her small acts of kindness spark a larger movement and received a special commendation from the school for her empathy and initiative.
As we walked home after the ceremony, River looked up at me with her big bright eyes.
“Mom, does this mean Mr. Thompson is going to be okay?” she asked.
I hugged her tightly, proud of the amazing person she was growing into. “Yes, River. Thanks to you and the support of many kind people, Mr. Thompson will be fine.”
River smiled and I could see the weight of worry lift from her shoulders. Her kindness made a real difference and I knew she would carry that lesson with her for the rest of her life.
From that day on, River and I continued our routines, but with a new sense of purpose. We volunteered at local shelters and participated in community events, always looking for ways to help others. Rivera’s compassionate spirit inspired me to be a better mother, and we became a team that faced the world with open hearts and a willingness to make a difference.
River taught me that sometimes the smallest acts of kindness can have the biggest impact. As a mother, seeing my daughter grow into such a caring, thoughtful person is the greatest achievement I could ever hope for.