Station Guard Sees Girl Lying on Bench for Days, ‘Dad Promised to Return...’ She Cries – Story of the Day

A station guard was going about his usual job when he saw a little girl lying alone on the bench. Her Dad had left her there, promising to return two days ago, but he never really came for her. The guard decides to help the girl and takes her home, only to make a heartbreaking discovery.

The bustling railway station stood at the heart of the small, quaint town, its weathered century-old bricks and antique clock marking the passage of time.

As the morning sun began to cast its golden rays on the platform, the station came alive with the chug of an approaching train, the hurried footsteps of passengers, and the rhythmic clatter of luggage wheels.

Amidst the chaos, Arnold, a 55-year-old station guard, stood with his whistle wedged between his fingers. He adjusted his cap and scanned the busy platform, his eyes keenly following the movements of people…

During his 20 years of service, Arnold had seen countless commuters come and go. But what he was about to witness that pleasant morning was unlike any other ordinary day of his life.

Just as Arnold hurried away to survey the other side of the platform, a sharp tap on his shoulder distracted him, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around and saw a brunette lady with a look of concern etched on her face.

"Excuse me, sir. A little girl is lying alone on the bench. I think she's lost or something. Can you please look into it?"

"Where?" Arnold asked her.

"Over there..." The lady then pointed to an old, wooden bench...and Arnold's heart sank like a stone when he saw a lonely little girl, no older than ten, curled up on the bench.

"Alright...I'll take care of it, Ma'am. Thank you so much for bringing it to my notice. Have a good day!" Arnold briskly said and approached the bench where the girl was lying.

Arnold's face contorted with suspicion when he saw the child. He hadn't seen her there before. Was she new in town? Where were her parents...and what was she doing all alone in a crowded station?

Several questions haunted Arnold, and something about the little girl struck him as unusual. So he leaned and gently tapped the girl on her arm and startled her awake.

"Hey there, little miss! What are you doing here? Where are your parents?" he asked her.

The girl sniffled and sat up, rubbing her puffy eyes that were tear-stained from crying. Her nose was red, and her cheeks were an immaculate pink. She was heartbroken about something.

The sadness in her eyes held a deep, haunting sorrow that seemed out of place amidst the hustle and bustle of the station. And she started crying again.

"Hey...it's okay, don't cry, miss. I'm here to help you. My name is Arnold, and I work here. What's your name?" Arnold sat beside her and tried comforting her first before delving more about her.

"My name is Millie," the girl answered through her tears.

"Okay, Millie, that's a lovely name! So what are you doing here all alone?"

"Dad promised to return..." she cried, and her voice trailed off.

"...and he never came back for me. I'm scared. I'm waiting for Daddy. He told me to wait right here...two days ago," Millie finished as a startled Arnold sat back in disbelief.

"Two days ago? You have been waiting for your dad for the past two days…all alone?" Arnold gasped, and the girl nodded.

He now realized that there was more mystery surrounding the girl than he had initially thought.

"Okay, Millie, look, you must come with me to the waiting area, alright?"

"No, I'm not going anywhere. Daddy told me to wait here. What if he comes...and doesn't see me here?"

Arnold couldn't bring himself to tell the girl that her father had supposedly lied to her about returning and had just disappeared. So he faked a reassuring word.

"Look, dear, I know somebody who can help us find your dad. Okay, so you got to trust me and just come with me. You can't sit over here alone like this. Please, get up and come with me..."

Although hesitant to trust a stranger, Millie agreed because the only thing that mattered to her was to find her father and get back to him.

"Come with me…this way," Arnold led the little girl to the waiting room.

He sat her down and pulled out his phone from his pocket to call his good friend and cop, William.

"Will, I found this little girl at the station," Arnold said as he stared at Millie and lowered his voice.

"I think she's lost. It seems her father left her at the station, promising to return. But she told me she's been waiting for two days...and that her dad didn't show up. How soon can you get here?"

"Arnie, glad you called me, man! I'm right outside the station...had come to receive someone from the department. I'll be there in five minutes...alright?"

Later, when William arrived at the waiting room, he saw Millie and asked the same questions that Arnold had already asked her. The answers were the same.

"Dad promised to return...I'm waiting for him."

William and Arnold exchanged a glance. "Arnie, before we proceed with this, can you please do me a little favor? Can you just take the girl home...with you?" William then said.

Arnold thought it was unusual for a cop to ask this.

"Take her home? But why?" Arnold exclaimed. "I thought you'd take her to the police station...and maybe see if there are any missing child reports. C'mon man, I can't take her home."

"Arnie, look, I totally understand your concern. But she's a little girl. If nobody turns up to take her, she'll end up with child services. They'll send her to some shelter...and we know how horrible some of those places are."

"So maybe you could shelter her...not for long, I promise...until we can track down her family or something."

"Willie, talk like a cop. We can't just take a stranger home. What if her dad comes looking for her?"

"Arnie, if her father comes looking for her, we'll definitely come to know about it, okay? Trust me. Just give me a few days. I'll find the girl's family somehow. But till then, I want you to take care of her. Besides, I'm sure your wife Eliza wouldn't hate a little company at home. Please, do this for me..."

"Just help her out, man. I can take her to my house. But as a cop, it's against protocol to take a lost child home instead of reporting it to social workers. That's why I'm asking you to do it. It won't take long to find her parents. I promise. "

Although Arnold was skeptical about agreeing to William, he glanced at little Millie tugging at her brown teddy bear that was soaking her tears. His mind told him not to agree, but his heart went out to the helpless little girl.

So Arnold sighed, "Alright...I'll take her home. But you've got a week to find this girl's parents. If not, I'll call child services myself, alright?"

"Deal!"

Arnold and William said their goodbyes as Millie watched them, her big, brown eyes glimmering with warm tears.

"Okay, so Uncle Willie has promised to find your father, okay!" Arnold knelt before Millie. "But the thing is, it'll take a little time. So until then, you'll go home with me, alright?"

Millie stared into Arnold's eyes. "How long will it take Uncle Willie to find my Daddy?"

"Just a few days!"

Millie nodded. Arnold bought her a meal and sat her in the waiting hall. After a long day at work, he drove the girl home in his old Mustang.

As the car pulled into the driveway, Arnold saw Eliza at the doorstep.

"You early today, old man!" she approached smiling, only to stop when Arnold got down and opened the car door. Millie stepped out and stared evenly at Eliza.

"Who is she?" Eliza asked, pointing at Millie.

"It's a long story. Why don't we go inside and talk?"

Arnold hurried inside as a curious Eliza watched Millie following Arnold like a little lamb.

"Arnie, I asked you something. Who is that little girl?" Eliza asked Arnold as he changed his shirt.

"One second...did she finish eating?" Arnold craned his neck and saw Millie twirling the ramen with her fork. He approached her and saw she hadn't eaten anything.

"Hey there! How about some cartoons after dinner? Scooby-Doo is my favorite!" Arnold said, trying to cheer the little one up.

"You like Scooby-Doo?" Millie's eyes lit up for the first time since their meeting. "I love Tom and Jerry."

Arnold knew the girl was fascinated by cartoons. The cat and mouse graphic prints on her little black shoes said it all, and he just knew that talking about cartoons would lighten her mood.

Eliza watched in disbelief as she sat at the table and witnessed Arnold and Millie chatting about cartoons and giggling like kindergarten buddies. She rolled her eyes and couldn't wait to know what this little girl was doing in their home.

Once Millie finished eating, Arnold helped her to the couch and turned on the TV so that she could watch cartoons for some time. Then, he hurried to Eliza to explain everything.

"That should keep her from crying...at least for a while," he sighed.

"What? Why would she be crying? Arnie, who is this girl?" Eliza asked Arnold.

"I found her at the station this morning. She was lying on the bench....seems her dad had promised to return and had asked her to wait for him there. But the poor thing...she'd been waiting there for the past two days, and her dad never showed up. Guess he abandoned her or something."

"Oh my God...that's awful. Did you report to the cops?"

"I called Willie. He requested I shelter the girl for a few days until they found her parents. I said no...but then he told me how horrible some of those shelters for lost and abandoned children are. So I just agreed and...brought her home.

"But it's only for a week. If they don't find any leads about her family, I'll call child services myself," Arnold assured Eliza.

Millie fell asleep on the couch. She wasn't interested in watching her favorite cartoon. She was exhausted, and her heart was aching to see her Dad. Arnold could sense the pain the girl was going through as he carried her upstairs.

"Arnie, no, you can't do this!" Eliza stopped Arnold before he could enter the room.

"...it's our daughter's room. I've not allowed anybody in that room ever since..." Eliza swallowed her words as tears suddenly sprang into her eyes.

"Darling, I understand. But it's the only empty room around here. Just look at how exhausted she is. It's only for a week. Please..."

Arnold gently lay a fast-asleep Millie on the bed and wrapped a warm blanket around her. He then tucked her teddy bear beside her.

"Goodnight, dear!" he whispered and left the room. Eliza stood at the doorway, clearly disappointed with Arnold for letting a stranger kid sleep in their late daughter Sophia's room.

"Arnie, I hope she doesn't touch anything in that room. You already moved our daughter's pictures to the attic only because you were hurt to see her face…

…You know how precious that room is," Eliza turned to Arnold as they settled in their bedroom. "It's been five years...have you forgotten about everything...?"

Arnold sighed. Memories of his daughter Sophia came rushing into his mind. He got out of his bed and stood still by the window overlooking the thick woods outside.

The smell that lingered in his late daughter Sophia's room haunted him. It was as if everything had happened yesterday. And he couldn't forgive himself for...killing his daughter.

Five years ago...

Arnold was the happiest dad. In her last mail that Arnold had read over a dozen times, his daughter Sophia had written that she would be coming home to meet her parents.

So the day had finally arrived, and Arnold couldn't wait to see his daughter again...after two years of no contact.

After what seemed like an eternal wait, Arnold's eyes lit up with tears of joy when he saw the taxi pull up in the driveway.

His legs trembled, and it felt like he would collapse on the ground when Sophia exited the cab. She looked different...and happy.

It worried Arnold because he wanted Sophia to stay forever and never go back to her boyfriend, whom she married against her dad's wishes.

"Dad! I'm so happy to see you!" Sophia ran to Arnold with her arms spread like an eagle. She hugged him and cried on his shoulders, parroting just one word after that—"Sorry!"

Two years ago, Arnold had arranged for Sophia's marriage to an old friend's wealthy son. He was an excited father of the bride who couldn't wait to walk his daughter down the aisle.

Before doing that biggest and happiest duty as a father, Arnold wanted to talk to his daughter and know she was happy with the wedding.

So, with a heart full of joy and eyes brimming with excitement, he approached the bride's room and knocked. But nobody answered the door.

"Sophia...Sophia, it's Daddy. Open the door," Arnold said again...and again. But Sophia was not inside.

Instead, Arnold found a note and a wedding ring on the chair when he barged inside.

Arnold's eyes gushed with tears. He was horrified. How would he face the world now? What would he tell the groom and his family?

Sophia had expressed her disapproval of the wedding and had written that she was in love with somebody else…and that she was running away to marry him.

"...I'm sorry, Dad. You left me with no choice. You rushed with this marriage before I could tell you everything. I can't do this. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

Arnold's heart sank deeper, and he could hear the marriage mass commencing. It was time to walk the bride down the aisle. But there was no bride.

A wave of unsettling whispers rumbled among the guests as Arnold appeared alone on the aisle. He walked up to the groom's family and told them everything.

It was humiliating. An excruciating pain spread across Arnold's chest, and he fell to the ground. Paramedics rushed to the scene and hurried him to the nearest hospital, where the doctors declared he had suffered a heart attack.

When Arnold opened his eyes, the constant beep of the medical equipment beside him reminded him that he was still alive. He couldn't have hated himself more for that.

"Oh, Arnie! You almost killed me. I'm so glad you're alright," Eliza cried as she held Arnold's hand.

Arnold looked behind her to see if Sophia had come to see him. If she had thrown aside her newfound love and raced to be with her dad. But she hadn't.

More than the pain his heart endured, the embarrassment he faced when the wedding was called off was agonizing.

"If only dying was easier..." he muttered, furious with God for giving him a second chance at life.

The next two years of Arnold's life were hell. He found solace in the bottles of whiskies he downed daily at the local bar. He wanted to forget his daughter's betrayal. But memories...they can be forever haunting, don't they?

But as time wore on, Arnold slowly gave up drinking as he didn't want to ruin the little peace left at home. Besides, he hated seeing Eliza crying all the time. So, stepping out of the dark hell of addiction wasn't that hard for Arnold.

"Dad...why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you happy to see me? I'm so stressed about something. Why don't we go inside and talk?" Sophia snapped Arnold to the moment.

"Oh, dear! I missed you so much!" Arnold burst into tears. Although he was still furious with his daughter, he couldn't bring himself to confront her. The fear of losing her again gnawed at him.

Two days later, Sophia told her parents she was leaving, and Arnold felt like his world was collapsing all over again.

"What?? You're leaving?" he rose to his feet.

Sophia never mentioned leaving her parents. Arnold thought she had come to stay with them for months, at the least. She had told him she was 'stressed,' and he had mistaken it for a permanent rift in her romantic relationship.

"But I thought you left that good-for-nothing boyfriend and returned to us...listen, Sophia. I'm not ready to lose you again. I want you back...I want my daughter back."

"Dad, I'm sorry. I have to go. I promised Mike I would return home soon. Please."

"Why the hell did you come here if you were going to leave us again?" Arnold yelled.

"I have to go, Dad. My flight's in three hours. And wow. You still haven't grown to understand or accept my relationship with Mike, have you? He's my husband now…

…He's so loving and caring! You can't hate my husband and love me at the same time, okay?"

I wanted to share something with both of you. But I don't think it's the right time. I'll visit again...only if you accept my life the way it is. I'm running late. I got to go!"

"Sophia? Sophia, wait..."

But Sophia didn't look back and boarded the taxi. Arnold watched the cab disappear into the thick evening traffic, and tears started streaming down his face.

He stormed to his Mustang and drove like a wild beast, unleashed with a reckless fury. The car came to a screeching stop outside the Grand Five Bar—a place Arnold vowed never to visit again.

He felt defeated as he stared at the glass of sparkling whiskey clinging to his hand. He had lost as a father...and Sophia would never accept him unless he approved of her relationship. Arnold couldn't do that. He hated Mike more than anybody he'd ever hated.

Arnold emptied an entire bottle of whiskey. He was drunk beyond his senses, stumbling and slurring his words as the bartender watched in disbelief.

"Make me an...another sh...shot, please," he stuttered.

"I'm sorry, sir. We're closing in five minutes," the bartender refused.

A string of curse words gushed out of Arnold's alcohol-stinking mouth. He slammed the money on the counter and trembled out of the bar when a familiar face rushed through the doorway and approached him.

It was William.

"Arnie, man, I kept calling you. Why weren't you picking up? There's been an accident...Arnie...Arnie, man…are you listening?"

"Willie, she left me again for that goddamn son of a—" Arnold cried.

"Arnie...you have to come with me to the hospital. Sophia...she...she was in a car crash, and she is..."

Arnold's eyes widened with horror. The police cruiser tore through the bustling street as Arnold sat beside William, praying to all the Gods he knew of to save his daughter.

When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor shared some heartbreaking news.

"We need AB negative blood type immediately," the doctor told William and Arnold. "Unfortunately, it's a very rare blood type. We haven't found a donor yet."

"Doctor, my blood type is AB negative," Arnold cried.

"Arnie, you cannot donate your blood," William declared as the doctor agreed.

"Why? Doctor, please, take all my blood. I don't care even if I die. Please save my daughter. Please."

"Mr. Smithson, we understand your situation. But since you were under the influence of alcohol, you're not eligible to donate blood."

"Please find someone healthy enough to donate this blood type. We'll try with the blood bank. Excuse me, gentlemen."

Arnold felt defeated again. He slapped himself hard several times for drinking that day.

"Arnie, stop. Where are you going?" William ran after Arnold, who stormed out of the hospital without uttering a word.

Desperate to save his daughter's life, Arnold ran like a madman on the road. He asked passers-by if their blood type was AB negative.

"Please, save my daughter. She needs AB-negative blood immediately. Please," he then ran from person to person at the railway station he worked at, pleading with people for help.

But nobody with such a blood type came forward to help him, and all Arnold got instead were their sympathies.

When nothing helped, Arnold raced to the church.

"Oh, Jesus..." Arnold knelt before the crucifix and burst into tears.

"My daughter's life is in danger. Please help me. Please, you're my last hope. Please save her. Please, don't do this to me."

Arnold's heart pounded like a wild beast. Each second was growing thin, but his hope grew stronger. Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

With trembling fingers, Arnold answered Eliza's call. He dropped to his knees in the middle of the call, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"Arnie...our daughter...she...Arnie...." Eliza's voice faded as Arnold burst into tears.

Sophia had lost her battle at the hospital.

After laying their daughter to rest, Arnold and Eliza's world turned dark and hollow. They lived just for the sake of it. What is the joy of living a life when its purpose is snatched?

Arnold hated himself for drinking that day. Had he not downed that home-wrecking poison, maybe Sophia would've been alive today.

He stopped going to church and stopped praying. He just lost faith in God. He did not find a purpose to enter those church doors again or ask God for anything. Life, for Arnold, was finished without his daughter...and he did not find a reason to smile again.

A gentle breeze brushed against Arnold's face, snapping him to the moment. Sighing a heavy breath, he returned to his bed. Arnold hoped William would find some lead about Millie's parents in a week and help her find her way home.

But four days passed, and William still couldn't track down anything about Millie or where she came from. Meanwhile, Arnold and Eliza grew to like the little girl's presence in their house.

Her infectious laughter filled the emptiness in the house and their hearts. She was like this cheerful and lively little butterfly that had come into their lives to make them smile and forget their sorrow.

But Arnold knew this joy wouldn't last forever. The day William found out about Millie's family, this happiness would come to a standstill…and she would have to leave them.

Although Arnold had initially told William he would call child services if there were no leads in a week, he was now skeptical about his decision.

He wanted to let Millie stay in his house for a few more days, but wanted to be sure if William had figured out anything about the girl's family. So the following evening, he took Millie and visited William at his home.

"Hey, man! What a pleasant surprise!" William hugged Arnold. "Hey, there, girlie! How are you? Is that a new giraffe you're holding?"

Millie smiled. "His name is Peppa. Uncle Arlo gifted him to me at the toy shop."

"Uncle Arlo? You mean Arnold?"

"Yes. Arlo!"

William exchanged a curious glance with Arnold, who rolled his eyes shyly and squared his shoulders.

"Man, Arnie, I'm so happy to see you smiling like this…after a long time!"

"I hope this happiness lasts, Willie…at least for a while," Arnold sat down as Millie busied herself with playing with Peppa on the carpet.

"Did you find anything about her parents...her dad...or anything?"

"I'm afraid not," William replied. "We informed all the stations nearby...even in the next town. But so far, nobody's reported a missing child. I'm afraid we'd have to leave her with child services."

"Well, I don't think we should do that," Arnold interrupted with a smile. "Eliza and I...we decided that if we don't find Millie's parents, then we would keep her for a little longer..."

"What?!" William exclaimed with joy before Arnold could finish talking. "Man, that's great news!"

Following a hearty chat, Arnold got into the car and prepared to leave with Millie. He had only crossed the lane nearby when he remembered he had left his wallet at William's house.

So he returned with the girl, and just as Arnold was about to enter the doorway, he overheard William talking on the phone by the window.

"...Oh, yes! Everything is going according to our plan. He thinks the girl's dad has abandoned her...and that her parents won't come back for her. He and his wife are planning on keeping her for a few more days. I'm glad our plan worked!"

A gush of rage and confusion sprang into a shocked Arnold's eyes. He burst into the house and startled William from behind.

"What the hell's going on, William? Explain yourself."

"Ar...Arnie??" William was startled when he saw Arnold in his house. He had overheard everything. But only two questions remained—who was William talking to? And what were they planning?

"Man, I can explain. It's not what you think. Arnie, just listen to me...."

"Shut up. Just shut your goddamn mouth! How could you? Now tell me...who is this girl? And what were you planning? I heard everything, William. Are you going to tell me the truth or...."

William gulped the lump that rose in his throat. He knew there was no turning back now—no more room for secrets...or lies.

"Millie...is...YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER! She is Sophia's daughter, Arnie."

When he said that, it felt like Arnold's heart was smacked with a hammer. It was unbelievable. It was not the kind of thing he had come prepared to hear.

"My...what??" Arnold shakily approached William and nudged him to tell further.

"I'm so sorry, Arnie. I didn't want to do this. But when Mike approached me seeking help, telling me he wanted you to meet his daughter...your granddaughter...I couldn't say no."

"I thought you've had enough of living a life of agony and self-accusation after Sophia died. I wanted to see you happy. So he and I planned to bring Millie into your life."

"Just as we planned, he left Millie at the station so you would find her. But you were on leave that day…and you saw her only on the second day. I watched your every move at the station...and was there to ensure Millie was safe until you found her...

...I couldn't personally intervene until you saw her because I feared she would recognize me. That woman at the station who told you about the child on the bench...I sent her your way."

"Holy—! How could you do this to me, William? You liar! You kept me in a web of lies about this girl...Damn it. Not to mention what you put the little girl through for two straight days..."

"Arnie, she's your granddaughter. Please, it's time to reconsider your views about Mike and just accept him...if not, at least the child. She's innocent."

Arnold's anger and the betrayal he encountered overshadowed his humane feelings. He stormed out of William's house, leaving Millie behind. He couldn't bring himself to believe he had a grandchild. Sophia had never told him anything about it.

"Arlo...don't leave me...Arlo...come back...." Little Millie ran behind Arnold's vehicle, shouting and screaming for him to come back and take her home.

But Arnold sped away as if Millie didn't matter to him anymore.

Back home, Arnold sat in his armchair, unable to process the boulder of thoughts rolling in his head. It was beyond what he could endure.

"Arnie, why aren't you saying anything? Where's the girl?" Eliza kept nudging Arnold. But he was too heartbroken, shocked, and angry to answer.

He said only one thing: "Forget her. She doesn't belong here!"

As Arnold sat there, angrily flicking the table lamp switch on and off, he found it really difficult to forget Millie or her infectious laughter. Everything in the house reminded him of her. Without her, the house appeared like a cemetery…silent and stripped of its glory.

When you love someone deeply and can't bring yourself to forget them...that feeling...it's horrible. And Arnold was going through that.

It was like his mind and heart were on the war field. Arnold's mind won this time, and he decided that Millie could never be his granddaughter or be a part of his family.

Arnold kept staring at the chandelier above him when his phone let out a distracting ring that felt overwhelming and annoying. It angered Arnold further when he saw William's number flashing across the screen.

Arnold ignored the calls. But when it rang the umpteenth time, he lost his cool and swiped to answer.

"What the hell do you want now?" he barked.

"Arnie...I...I'm calling from the City Hospital. Millie...she...she...."

Arnold's heart felt like it would explode. The next thing he knew, he was behind the wheel of his Mustang as he wove through the bustling evening traffic to the hospital.

His shirt was soaking wet from sweat...and tears. Arnold could not control his emotions. It was like history was trying to repeat itself. First Sophia...and now. Millie.

Arnold pulled over at the hospital parking lot and bolted inside. His voice refused to slow down at the reception, and he kept crying just one word—Millie.

"Arnie...over here!" William came running.

"Willie...where's she? Wha...what happened to her?" Arnold cried, and moments later, they stopped outside the emergency ward.

"Arnie...Millie...she was suffering from a serious heart condition," William teared up.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never allowed me to talk, Arnie. You just left her there. She came running after you...and collapsed on the ground, crying, 'Arlo, come back!' But you...you just drove away without even stopping to look at her...."

Arnold pressed his face on the round see-through glass on the door and saw Millie on the bed, with wires plugged into her wrists, feeding life into her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Smithson. It's all my fault," a voice distracted Arnold from behind. "I wanted my daughter to be with her grandparents...to feel loved. I wanted to make up for the loss you suffered after losing Sophia."

"Mike??" Arnold gasped.

Mike painfully nodded. "Millie has a heart condition that needs surgery. But before she could go under the knife, I wanted her to meet her grandparents once."

"Doctors told me there were slim chances Millie would make it. I knew how Sophia's death broke you. I saw you at the funeral. Millie was in my arms...she was just a year old. I wanted to talk to you later...and apologize for everything."

"But I couldn't do it after overhearing how you resented me...I was afraid you would never accept me or my child."

"My daughter had a child...and she didn't tell me?" Arnold cried.

"She wanted to, Mr. Smithson. That's why she visited you. She wanted to surprise you and your wife by showing you our baby's pictures."

"But when she learned you still disapproved of her marriage to me, she called me on the way to the airport and told me she would tell you about our baby only when you accepted me. That was the last time I heard her voice..."

Arnold felt like he was being pelted by stones when he saw Millie being wheeled to the operation theater moments later.

That sight of seeing someone you love lying still under that green sheet and being taken to the operation theater...it's harrowing.

Arnold's head started to spin, and he wanted to cry until he dropped dead. Sitting in that white hallway felt like he was sitting in some funeral home.

The smell of disinfectants and the sight of the white walls surrounding him reminded him of the day he lost his daughter. And Arnold was not prepared for another loss.

Snapping away his tears, he rose to his feet and wildly marched to the exit.

"Arnie...where are you going? Arnie, wait..." William ran after Arnold.

But Arnold disappeared into the street and ran toward Saint John's Cathedral—the church he hadn't visited in five years.

"Please...don't do this," Arnold dropped to his knees and folded his palms in prayer before the crucifix. Warm beads of tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared at the crucifix.

"Please...I beg you...please..." he cried. Words were stuck in his throat, and his heart pounded.

The loud chimes of the church bell heightened Arnold's hopes. It felt as if God was answering him from Heaven. How hopeful he was...just how hopeful!

An hour went by when Arnold got a phone call from William. The next minute, tears sprang into Arnold's eyes as he bolted out of the church and ran to the hospital.

"She's alright, Arnie! Millie made it...she made it!" William hugged Arnold outside the ward Millie was shifted to after her heart surgery.

Arnold sighed with relief. He stared at Mike square in the eye but didn't say anything.

"She'll be discharged in two weeks," William continued.

Arnold wiped away his tears and pressed his tear-stained face on the round see-through glass. Millie was on the hospital bed, looking like an angel. She had put on a brave fight and won over death! What a brave little one she was!

That evening, Arnold left the hospital as a changed man. Two weeks passed, and Millie was discharged from the hospital.

Arnold had decorated his house with colorful balloons and streamers. A golden 'Welcome Home' banner adorned the front door. All of Millie's favorite dishes, especially her favorite jelly cake, were set on the dining table.

Her mother Sophia's room was painted pink and decorated with cartoon wallpapers, toys and dolls, and everything a little girl could ask for.

Arnold desperately waited at his doorway. He grew impatient to see Millie again. He couldn't wait to hug her and hear her melodious laughter.

Hours passed, but there was no sign of Millie or Mike. Just as Arnold pulled out his phone to call William to find out, William's car pulled into the driveway.

Arnold ran to the car excitedly, but his smile faded when only William got down. Arnold craned his neck to the other door, his eyes darting to see his granddaughter. But the door never opened.

"Wh…where is Millie?" Arnold painfully stuttered.

William disappointedly sighed and pointed at an airplane soaring across the evening sky. Tears gushed into Arnold's eyes when he looked up.

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A park janitor sees a lonely little girl in the park. She tells him she is waiting for her mom. The man is surprised when he sees the same girl again the next day, sitting on the same bench, and calls the cops. Here's the full story.

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