Grief plays tricks on the mind, but this? This was real.

Kelly knew her husband’s voice. She had memorized every cadence, every warmth in his tone. And yet, just moments ago, she had heard it—clear as day, coming from her daughter’s room.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. Jeremy had been dead for two years.

So who—or what—was speaking in his voice?

She took a shaky breath and stepped inside… then froze.

A Life Shattered in an Instant
Kelly’s life had been a rollercoaster of love and loss.

Two years ago, she had been eight months pregnant, painting delicate flowers on the walls of her unborn daughter’s nursery, dreaming about their future.

Then the phone rang.

“Miss Kelly? This is Officer Reynolds…”

Her hand instinctively clutched her belly as her heart pounded. No. No, please no.

“There’s been an accident… your husband…”

A strangled cry escaped her lips. She barely heard the rest—just fragments of horror. Jeremy. Car crash. Instant. No chance to say goodbye.

She never even saw his body. Just a closed casket, a funeral filled with murmurs of “He was too young” and “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

But none of it brought him back.

And now, two years later, as she raised their daughter Sophia alone, the emptiness still clawed at her.

And yet… now, in the dead silence of her home, she heard him.

A Voice from the Past
It started as a click.

A window shutting? Probably the wind.

But then—Oh God.

“I love you forever.”

Kelly’s breath hitched. Her entire body went rigid.

The voice was unmistakable. It was Jeremy.

Not a whisper in her head. Not a memory. It was real.

“Jeremy?” she choked out into the silence, but only her echo answered.

Then she heard it again.

“I love you forever.”

It was coming from Sophia’s room.

Kelly’s pulse pounded in her ears as she shot up from the couch, knocking over her book. Her legs carried her down the hallway faster than her mind could process.

Was someone in there? Was she losing her mind?

Or… was Jeremy alive?

She threw open the door.

The Nursery Revelation
Sophia lay fast asleep in her crib, tiny fingers curled around a plush teddy bear. The soft glow of the nightlight painted her face in gentle gold.

The room was still.

And yet—she heard it again.

“I love you forever.”

Kelly’s stomach dropped. She wasn’t imagining this.

Tears welled in her eyes as she scanned the room. The window? Shut. Locked. The closet? Empty. No shadows in the corner.

Then, Sophia stirred, murmuring in her sleep.

“Dada.”

Kelly’s breath hitched.

Then her gaze fell on the bear.

It was a simple stuffed toy, nothing special. But her gut told her otherwise.

Hands trembling, she reached for it. Pressed its belly.

“I love you forever.”

The realization hit her like a punch to the chest.

The voice… was coming from the bear.

The Call That Changed Everything
Kelly sat on the couch, gripping the bear so tightly her knuckles turned white.

She had no memory of buying this.

Who gave it to Sophia?

Then it clicked.

Sophia’s second birthday. Just last week.

“Look what Grandma got you!” she had said absentmindedly, handing Sophia the bear among a pile of other gifts.

Her mother-in-law.

Kelly’s stomach twisted. She grabbed her phone and dialed.

Gloria picked up on the second ring. “Kelly, sweetheart! Is everything okay?”

Kelly didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Did you know this thing plays Jeremy’s voice?”

Silence.

Then, a hesitant, “Oh… did it finally play?”

Kelly’s grip tightened. “Finally? What do you mean, finally?”

Gloria sighed heavily. “I was wondering when you’d hear it.”

An Unfinished Goodbye
An hour later, Gloria arrived, her expression nervous. She sat across from Kelly, her hands folded.

“I just… I thought it would help,” she said softly.

“Help who?” Kelly demanded, her voice thick with emotion.

Gloria exhaled. “Sophia. And you.”

Kelly stared, waiting.

“Kelly,” Gloria reached across the table, squeezing her hand. “Every time Sophia asks about her daddy… every time I see you trying to explain… it breaks my heart.”

Kelly’s throat closed.

“And you don’t think this breaks mine?” Her voice cracked. “To hear his voice out of nowhere, when I thought I’d never hear it again?”

Gloria swallowed. “After Jeremy died, I kept thinking… she’ll never know her father’s voice. So I took a clip from your wedding video. His vows.”

Kelly’s breath stilled.

“I love you forever,” Gloria whispered.

Oh, God.

Kelly squeezed her eyes shut.

“He practiced those vows for weeks,” she murmured. “He said they had to be perfect…”

Gloria nodded, her own eyes glistening. “I just… I wanted her to have a piece of him. So she’d know he’s always with her.”

Kelly swallowed hard.

“Gloria,” she whispered, “you should have told me.”

Gloria blinked back tears. “I know. I just… I didn’t want to upset you.”

Kelly laughed bitterly. “Upset me? I thought I was losing my mind. For a moment, I thought he was—”

“Alive?” Gloria finished gently.

Kelly let out a shaky breath.

Gloria reached for her again. “He would be so proud of you, Kelly. So proud of how you’re raising her.”

A lump formed in Kelly’s throat. She didn’t know what to say.

She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t relieved. She was just… overwhelmed.

A Different Kind of Forever
That night, Kelly sat in Sophia’s room, watching her sleep.

The bear rested in her lap, soft and worn.

She traced the fabric with her fingers, feeling the weight of everything that had been lost. And yet… something in her heart felt lighter.

“You would have loved her so much,” she whispered into the quiet. “She’s perfect, Jeremy. Just perfect.”

She pressed the bear one last time.

“I love you forever.”

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Sophia stirred, eyes fluttering open. “Mama?”

“Hey, baby girl,” Kelly whispered, smoothing her hair.

“Bear?”

She handed it to her.

Jeremy’s voice filled the room again.

“That’s your daddy,” Kelly said, her voice breaking. “He loves you so, so much.”

Sophia hugged the bear tighter, her tiny lips forming the softest of words.

“Love Dada.”

And for the first time in two years, Kelly didn’t feel so alone.

Because now, no matter what, Jeremy was here.

With them.

Forever.