{"id":4207,"date":"2024-12-20T03:23:17","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T03:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scenicwhispers.com\/?p=4207"},"modified":"2024-12-20T03:23:20","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T03:23:20","slug":"my-sister-asked-me-to-babysit-her-daughter-but-hours-before-she-returned-i-realized-the-child-was-missing-story-of-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scenicwhispers.com\/archives\/4207","title":{"rendered":"My Sister Asked Me to Babysit Her Daughter, but Hours before She Returned, I Realized the Child Was Missing \u2013 Story of the Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Every man reaches a moment when he wants to settle down and have a loving family. But not Henry\u2014he was convinced he would stay single forever, believing it was the better life for him. However, a day with his nine-year-old niece makes him realize the true reason behind his choices.\n\n

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The morning light filtered through unfamiliar curtains, and I woke up to the sensation of something warm and wet on my face.\n\n

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It was a dog\u2014not mine\u2014a small, fluffy creature with wide, eager eyes that seemed to say,\u00a0You\u2019re mine now.\n\n

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It licked my cheek persistently, wagging its tail with determination. Did it want food? A walk? Who knew?\n\n

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As I rubbed my eyes, the events of the previous night slowly returned. I turned my head and saw her\u2014a girl I\u2019d met at the club.\n\n

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She was asleep, her hair sprawled across the pillow.\n\n

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This wasn\u2019t my place. If I was here, that meant I\u2019d accomplished what I\u2019d set out for.\n\n

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And now it was time to do what I always did: gather my things and make a quiet exit.\n\n

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I slipped out of bed carefully, scanning the room. There were my pants, crumpled on the floor. My shirt hung awkwardly off a chair.\n\n

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One sock sat beside my shoe, but the other… where was it? My search led me to the dog\u2019s mat.\n\n

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There it was, claimed by the little fluffball now wagging its tail with pride.\n\n

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I crouched down, whispering,\n\n

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\u201cHey, buddy, that\u2019s mine.\u201d I reached for the sock, but the dog grabbed it with its teeth, growling playfully.\n\n

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Just as we began our tug-of-war, a groggy voice broke the silence.\u201cHenry? Are you up already?\u201d\n\n

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I froze. She was awake. Turning, I saw her smiling at me with sleepy eyes.\n\n

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\u201cUh, yeah,\u201d I stammered, \u201cI\u2019ve got work. Running late for a meeting.\u201dShe frowned.\n\n

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\u201cBut it\u2019s Saturday…\u201d\n\n

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\u201cI work weekends sometimes. Important stuff, you know.\u201d\n\n

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Her smile faded, replaced by a curious tilt of her head.\n\n

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\u201cSo\u2026 will I see you again?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cOf course,\u201d I lied smoothly. \u201cI\u2019ll call you.\u201dHer brow furrowed.\n\n

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\u201cYou\u2019ll call me? Did I even give you my number?\u201d\n\n

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Uh-oh. Panic swirled in my chest.\n\n

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\u201cI thought you did. Didn\u2019t you?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cAnd how did you save my name?\u201d she pressed.\n\n

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Caught, I stammered, \u201cBy your name, obviously.\u201d\n\n

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Her gaze sharpened.\n\n

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\u201cAnd what\u2019s my name?\u201d\n\n

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I swallowed hard. Two options: admit the truth or …\n\n

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\u201cNancy?\u201d I guessed weakly.\n\n

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Her face darkened instantly.\n\n

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\u201cGet out of here! I knew it! You\u2019re just like the rest\u2014ugh!\u201d\n\n

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Slippers flew in my direction as I grabbed my jacket and shoes, dodging her fury all the way out the door.\n\n

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Sitting in my car, I leaned back and sighed. The rearview mirror reflected a face that looked satisfied, smug even.\n\n

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This was my life: no strings, no responsibilities, just freedom. Who needed the hassle of a family? Not me.\n\n

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While others tied themselves down, I lived for the thrill\u2014parties, work, and the kind of independence most people only dreamed about.\n\n

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A loud ringtone interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at the screen and blinked. Riley? My sister hardly ever called. I hesitated before answering.\n\n

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“Hello, Riley?”\n\n

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“Henry,” she said, her voice tight, “I need to talk to you. Got a minute?”\n\n

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I frowned. “Sure. What\u2019s going on?”\n\n

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“Come over as soon as you can. I can\u2019t explain over the phone. When can you get here?”\n\n

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“Fifteen minutes. Is everything okay?”\n\n

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“Just come. I\u2019ll explain.”\n\n

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I stared at the phone for a moment, then started the car. Whatever this was, it had to be serious.\n\n

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Twenty minutes later, I pulled into her driveway and barely made it to the door before it swung open.\n\n

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Riley stood there, arms crossed, her expression a mix of annoyance and urgency.\n\n

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“You\u2019re late!”\n\n

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“By five minutes,” I retorted, stepping inside.\n\n

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“Relax, Riley. You don\u2019t have to be such a pain in the…”\n\n

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“Don\u2019t swear,” she hissed. “My daughter\u2019s nearby.”\n\n

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I followed her gaze and saw Mira, her nine-year-old, curled up on the couch with an encyclopedia.\n\n

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Her tiny face was scrunched up in concentration, her finger tracing the lines of text like a mini scholar.\n\n

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“As expected, you\u2019re my last option,” Riley said with a sigh. “I need you to watch Mira today.”\n\n

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“Me? Are you serious?” I asked, glancing nervously at Mira, who hadn\u2019t looked up from her book.\n\n

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“I wouldn\u2019t ask if I had another choice,” she said, exasperated.\n\n

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“I have a business dinner tonight. Either I go and close this deal, or I cancel because I can\u2019t leave her alone. Can you help me or not?”\n\n

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“Fine,” I muttered. “If it\u2019s that important.”\n\n

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“Great. Food\u2019s in the kitchen. I left money in case you need to order something, but keep it healthy. No greasy junk. And she\u2019s not allowed outside. Got it?”\n\n

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“Got it.”\n\n

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With a quick goodbye, Riley was out the door, leaving me and Mira alone. I looked at her. She looked at me.\n\n

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Neither of us said a word. Let the longest day of my life begin.\n\n

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The day dragged on like an endless loop of boredom.\n\n

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Mira sat on the couch, clutching her encyclopedia, and occasionally glanced at me with a look that made me feel like a failing science experiment.\n\n

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Her small face was calm, but her raised eyebrows screamed\u00a0judgment.\n\n

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I cleared my throat.\n\n

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\u201cSo, uh, you like reading?\u201d I asked, trying to break the awkward silence.\n\n

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\u201cYes, I do. Mom says books are knowledge, and I want to know a lot,\u201d she said, her voice cool and sharp, like a character straight out of a movie about child prodigies.\n\n

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I nodded. \u201cCool, cool… What\u2019s your favorite subject in school?\u201d\n\n

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Mira sighed, looking at me as if I\u2019d just asked the world\u2019s most boring question.\n\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s such an unoriginal question, but I\u2019ll answer anyway. I like biology because it has lots of animals, and I love learning about them.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cCool,\u201d I mumbled, unsure what else to say. Conversations with kids were harder than I thought.\n\n

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After a moment, she closed her book and tilted her head. \u201cSo, are you my uncle?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cYeah,\u201d I replied. \u201cYou probably don\u2019t remember me, though. We met when you were little.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cGot it,\u201d she said simply. Then she hit me with a curveball. \u201cAre you married?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cUh, no. I\u2019m not married.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cWhy not?\u201d she asked, her curious tone sounding more like an interrogation.\n\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t want to get married. I like being on my own,\u201d I said, hoping that would end the conversation.\n\n

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\u201cNo one likes being alone,\u201d she replied, crossing her arms.\n\n

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\u201cI do,\u201d I insisted, though her words stung more than I cared to admit.\n\n

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\u201cMaybe you\u2019re scared,\u201d she said matter-of-factly.\n\n

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\u201cScared? What would I be scared of?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cMom says marriage is a lot of work. She also says you don\u2019t like working. So maybe you\u2019re scared of hard work.\u201d\n\n

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I sat up straight.\n\n

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\u201cShe told you that!? Well, just so you know, I\u2019m not scared! Maybe it\u2019s just… not for me. For now.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cGot it. You\u2019re scared,\u201d Mira concluded, her lips curling into a tiny smirk. \u201cAnyway, I\u2019m hungry.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cThen eat something,\u201d I said, gesturing toward the kitchen.\n\n

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\u201cMom said you\u2019re taking care of me. So take care of me,\u201d she shot back.\n\n

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\u201cFine,\u201d I muttered, opening the fridge. It was full of salads, juices, and not a single thing I wanted to eat. I sighed and pulled out my phone.\n\n

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