My new neighbors seemed odd from the start. Their little child played alone, and I ended up spending half the day with her until her mother finally appeared. Out of courtesy, she invited me over. The next day, I found the abandoned child with a heartbreaking note. I decided to act immediately.
It was a typical quiet day in our small suburban neighborhood when I noticed the moving truck pull up to the old house next door. The place had been abandoned for years, and seeing any activity there was surprising enough.
I stood at my window, peering through the curtains like a curious cat.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Who are they?” I muttered to myself, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.
The man was tall, with sharp features that made him look like he’d stepped out of a noir film.
The woman with him, though—she was something else. Pale, almost ghostly, with a distant look in her eyes as if she was there, but not really.
And then, there was the little girl.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
She couldn’t have been more than four years old. Tiny thing, with big eyes full of innocence, clutching a worn-out teddy bear as if it was her only friend in the world.
She played alone in the overgrown yard, her small figure seeming even smaller against the wild grass and tangled weeds.
What a strange family!
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
Samuel and I had always dreamed of having kids. After years of trying, though, it became painfully clear that it wasn’t going to happen for us.
Samuel never talked much about it, always brushing it off with a shrug or a quick change of subject.
But me? I couldn’t let go of the dream. And seeing that little girl, so alone… It stirred something deep inside me.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
***
A few days later, I went for my usual walk around the neighborhood. As I turned the corner, there she was—the little girl from the neighbor’s house. This time, she was dangerously close to the street.
“Hey there, sweetie,” I called out gently, hurrying over. “Let’s not play so close to the road, okay?”
She looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes, and for a moment, I just stood there, holding her tiny hand.
I led her back toward her house and knocked on the door. No answer. My hand hesitated on the doorknob.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Should I?
I took a deep breath and pushed it open, just a crack.
The house was almost empty, just a few old pieces of furniture and scattered boxes. It was like they’d moved in but hadn’t settled. Nobody was inside.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“What’s your name, sweetie?” I asked, crouching down to the girl’s level.
“Lily,” she replied, her voice as soft as a whisper.
“Well, Lily,” I said, “how about we draw some pictures?”
“I have no crayons.”
Those words cut a hole in my heart.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Alrighty! Let’s use a stick and sand outside!” I tried to cheer her up.
She nodded eagerly, and I began tracing simple shapes with a wooden stick—a heart, a star, and the letter “A.” Lily watched closely, her eyes widening with each stroke of the stick.
“Can I try?” she asked, reaching for the stick.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Of course,” I handed it to her, “Why don’t you try writing your name?”
She carefully drew a shaky “L” in the dirt, then looked up at me for approval.
“That’s great, Lily! You’re doing such a good job!” I encouraged her.
After a while, we moved on to another game. I pointed to some stones nearby.
“Let’s build something together. How about a castle?”
“A castle! Yes!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
We gathered the stones, stacking them one on top of the other. It was a simple structure, really, but to Lily, it seemed like the grandest thing in the world.
“Look, it’s like a tower,” she said, placing a small stone carefully on top.
“It is! And here’s another one for the other side,” I added, handing her a flat stone. “You know, this could be where the princess lives.”
Lily’s face lit up even more at the idea.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“And the prince can live over here,” she said, pointing to a spot on the other side.
I noticed how intently Lily focused on the task as if each stone was a precious gem. It made me wonder if she had ever played with real toys before.
“Thank you for playing with me.”
My heart swelled at her words.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
As the sun began to set, I started to worry about what to do.
Finally, the girl’s mother appeared, almost out of nowhere. She seemed surprised to see me but didn’t show much emotion.
“Thanks,” she said flatly, taking the girl’s hand. “I was nearby all the time.”
There was no warmth, no smile—just those words. Before leaving, she added,
“Why don’t you come over for tea tomorrow?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
It wasn’t so much an invitation as an obligation. But I nodded, agreeing anyway.
I glanced down at Lily. She had been so engaged, so full of life while we played, but the moment her mother appeared, something in her seemed to change.
“Lily, it’s time to go.”
Without a word, Lily simply walked over to her mother, her small hand slipping into the woman’s cold grasp. There was no protest, no hesitation—just quiet obedience.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Okay, Mommy.”
Lily looked back at me. “Will you come to play with me again?”
“Of course, sweetie,” I replied, my voice catching in my throat.
As I watched them disappear down the path, a sense of unease crept over me. That sadness in Lily’s eyes was like a silent plea, a cry for help that she couldn’t voice.
There was something off about this family—something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
***
The next day, I hesitated, staring at the chipped paint on the neighbor’s door, then knocked. No answer. I knocked again, louder this time, but still nothing.
“Hello? It’s me, from next door,” I called out, hoping to hear some sign of life inside.
Nothing. The house remained eerily quiet, the silence pressing down on me like a weight. After what felt like an eternity, I hesitantly pushed the door open and stepped inside.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Hello?”
My footsteps sounded loud against the wooden floor as I wandered through the rooms, each one emptier than the last.
Then, in the living room, I found Lily. She was sitting on the floor with a pack of cookies and a bottle of water. She was holding a piece of paper in her tiny hands.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Lily?” I whispered, kneeling beside her.
She didn’t say anything, just handed me the note. I unfolded the paper, the heartbreaking message inside sending a cold chill down my spine:
“She’s yours if you want her. We know you’ll take good care of her.”
I stared at the words, my mind racing.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
Who would do such a thing? Abandon their child like this, leaving her in an empty house with nothing but a note?
Panic started to rise in my chest, and I grabbed Lily, pulling her close.
“We need to go,” I whispered, scooping her up into my arms.
As I headed for the door, a terrifying thought crossed my mind.
What if this was a trap?
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I froze for a moment, my heart pounding. But then I looked down at Lily. I couldn’t leave her there, no matter the risks.
When we arrived back at my house, Samuel was already home. He looked up from the couch as I walked in.
“What is this?” he demanded.
I set Lily down gently and handed her a box of crackers and a glass of milk.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Here, sweetie, why don’t you have a snack and watch some cartoons?” I said, turning on the TV to distract her.
Once she was settled, I turned back to Samuel, who was now standing, his face twisted with anger.
“Why is there a child in our house, Eliza?” he raised his voice.
“Samuel, I found her alone,” I began, my voice trembling. “In that empty house, with nothing but this note.”
I handed him the paper. He read the note quickly, then looked up at me.
“You’ve broken our agreement, Eliza. We agreed—no children in this house!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Samuel, I couldn’t just leave her there! She was all alone, with no one to take care of her,” I pleaded, trying to make him understand.
But his anger only grew.
“I told you I didn’t want kids! And now you’ve brought one into our home? Do you even realize what you’ve done?”
His words cut deep, like a knife twisting in my chest.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“You never said that! All these years, you said it was because of your health…”
He looked away, his jaw clenched.
“I lied. I never wanted children, Eliza. I just didn’t want to lose you.”
It felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. All those years, all those hopes and dreams… I had been living a lie.
Samuel delivered his ultimatum:
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Either you take her back, or go away.”
I stared at him, the man I had loved and trusted, and realized that I couldn’t stay. Not like this. Not with him.
Without another word, I turned away from him, gathering a few belongings. I packed a small bag, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.
I couldn’t abandon Lily after everything she had already been through.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
As I took Lily’s hand and led her to the door, Samuel didn’t stop me. He just stood there, cold and distant, as if we were strangers.
I had no idea where we would go.
Finally, we ended up at the school where I work and spent the night in my office. I knew it wasn’t a permanent solution, but it was a start.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
***
In the following days, I began the adoption process for Lily, but it wasn’t easy. The authorities insisted I needed a stable home.
Then, unexpectedly, they informed me that Lily’s biological parents had left her an inheritance — the house. So, I could adopt Lily and move in there.
Shocked, I dug deeper and discovered that Lily’s foster parents — my neighbors — had adopted Lily solely for that inheritance. But realizing they couldn’t care for her, they decided she deserved better.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
To ensure she wouldn’t end up in another home for the wrong reasons, they left her, and the house, in my care. We moved in the same day, and the house became our home, filled with warmth and love.
Lily slowly opened up, and every time she called me “Mommy,” my heart swelled.
Samuel, living alone, began to reconsider his choices. He started helping around the house and taking care of Lily when I was busy. Forgiving him wasn’t easy, but his efforts made me feel that maybe we could find our way back to each other.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
If you enjoyed this story, read this one: My husband was cheating on me with my boss, and I silently endured it. Then, my boss handed me tickets to distant islands, clearly with her own agenda. At the airport, I found myself fighting for a taxi. Little did I know, that chaotic moment would mark the beginning of an unexpected love story.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
At 15, Vivienne, Brad Pitt’s youngest daughter, is a little “Brangelina,” gorgeous.
Despite their short but lovely marriage coming to an abrupt end, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had some amazing kids.
In addition to having the most famous double surname, Vivienne, 15, is the picture perfect daughter of picture-perfect parents and one of the most beautiful young women living. Her twin brother Knox and biological sister Shiloh share this surname.
Read on to learn more about the newest member of the Pitt-Jolie family!
Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt was born into an aristocratic Hollywood family and became well-known at an early age.
After the birth of their twins in 2008, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, anticipating a circus of media attention, took control of the situation and sold People and Hello! the rights to the kids’ earliest photos! They donated the $14 million they collected from the sale of the images to their organization, the Maddox-Jolie-Pitt Foundation.
In a 2008 Rolling Stone interview, Brad Pitt talked about how the paparazzi invaded their personal lives, stating, “Well, we get run out of every major city.” That’s the cause of my b****ing. These photographers are pursuing the kids as they call out their names.
All eyes were focused on the couple and their growing family, though.
At the age of fifteen, Vivienne Marcheline, who went by her mother’s name Angelina Jolie, is widely recognized as one of the most stunning young women in the world. She is the youngest of six children, with her twin brother Knox being a few seconds older.
Given how stunning her parents are, it should come as no surprise that their children share their beauty.
Her father, a good-looking 60-year-old, is one of the only two men to have won People’s Sexiest Guy Alive twice, along with George Clooney and Johnny Depp. Numerous times, her mother has been named the world’s most beautiful woman.
In 1990, a young man from Missouri started to change Hollywood. His charming grin, bleached blonde hair, and innate acting abilities captivated every scene.
His perfectly sculpted features and dimples make him incredibly attractive to women. All he needed to win their hearts was a cowboy hat and a seductive sequence starring Geena Davis from the 1991 film Thelma and Louise.
Whether he plays a vicious psychopath in Kalifornia, an assassin in Bullet Train, or a kind-hearted blood sucker in Interview with the Vampire, Pitt never fails to captivate an audience that can’t get enough of him.
Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were one of the most alluring couples in Hollywood in the early 2000s, so many fans were devastated when they announced their divorce in 2005.
Only one month after Aniston filed for divorce, there were reports that the 48-year-old Mr. and Mrs. Smith actress and the Once Upon a Time star were dating.
Although the exact cause of Aniston and Pitt’s breakup remains unknown to the public, the Tomb Raider actress insists that the two were not intimate until Pitt’s divorce was finalized.
“To be intimate with a married man, when my own father cheated on my mother, is not something I could forgive,” she said, alluding to her father’s adultery. Her father is the well-known actor Jon Voight, who played Angelina Jolie’s father in the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie from 2001. She continued, saying, “I could not look at myself in the morning if I did that.” I would not be interested in a man who had an affair with his wife.
The couple’s biological kid Shiloh was born in 2006, and they were married in 2014, together with Knox and Vivienne. The family also consists of three adopted children: Maddox Jolie-Pitt, 22, from Cambodia, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, 18, and Pax Thien, 19, from Vietnam.
The Tomb Raider star explained that every child has reaped tremendous benefits from having a cosmopolitan upbringing.
They’re genuinely amazing people, and I think their sheer quantity has greatly influenced one another. Not that I led anything, really. I’m resolved to not give any of her children the benefit of the doubt. I always tell the truth to my children. And I’m incredibly human when it comes to my kids,” Jolie previously told People.
There are six remarkably diverse people living in my house. I’m infatuated with all the different stages, feelings, and interests that children go through. From whence could you not be? It’s our responsibility to help them find their identity. You can’t learn who they are if you don’t actively grow alongside them, she added.
Furthermore, since their divorce in 2019, Jolie and the Oceans 11 actress have shared parental responsibilities for the children.
Vivienne
Jolie greeted her, “My mother comes to mind every time I see or say Vivienne’s full name.”
“I dare to say Viv is proving to resemble Ange in spirit, attitude, and physicality,” says Vivienne’s loving father. with regard to her character. She has the same grace as her mother.
The screen that she and her mother are using is the same one.
Vivienne costarred with her Oscar-winning mother as a young Princess Aurora in the 2014 film Maleficent. when he was five years old.
Jolie told Entertainment Weekly that she didn’t think Vivienne would be in the film and that she thinks parents should give their children the freedom to make their own decisions.
“Although they like coming on set and making brief cameos, our kids are not actors in our eyes. That’s not at all what Brad and I hope to accomplish. However, none of the other [performers], who were three and four years old, would come up to me. It had to be a child that liked me and didn’t run from my eyes, claws, or horns. It had to be Viv after all.
Although Vivienne is now assisting her mother in creating the Broadway musical adaptation of The Outsiders, which is scheduled to open in April 2024, her only performing credit to far is this one.
For the stage adaptation of the 1983 movie of the same name, Jolie’s daughter Viv acts as her assistant. Jolie told E! News that Viv “reminds me of my mother in that she isn’t focused on being the center of attention but in being a support to other creatives.” “She is very thoughtful and serious about it, and she works really hard to figure out how she can contribute to the theater.”
benevolent spirit
Apart from her hereditary endowments, Vivienne’s magnanimous disposition stems from her generous parents. In 2019, she was seen at a neighboring dog park in Los Angeles, where she was selling treats to raise money for a nearby rescue shelter.
As a passionate animal lover, Vivienne was devastated to hear in 2020 that her favorite bunny had passed away. Jolie spoke with Harper’s Bazaar on the loss and said,Following the death of Vivienne’s bunny during surgery, we adopted two cute but little rabbits with disabilities. They have to work in pairs. Because they are so gentle, it has been helpful to focus on their care for her at this time. And speaking of dogs, snakes, and lizards…
It’s amazing that the twins are fifteen years old, and it will be interesting to see what they decide to do with their lives.
What are your thoughts on this stunning family? Please share this article with others and let us know what you think so we can hear from them too!
If you enjoyed this story as much as I did, you should read Shiloh, Vivienne’s older sister!
Leave a Reply