My Husband Died Before Our Daughter Was Born—Two Years Later, I Heard His Voice in Her Room (3 of 5)

Down the hallway I flew, heart pounding, stomach twisted into knots. Every nerve in my body screamed as I threw open the door.

Lily lay sleeping in her crib, one hand curled around a teddy bear. The window was shut. The room was undisturbed.

Frozen in place, I listened.

“I love you forever.”

The words came again, and I dropped to my knees, trembling. They were coming from the bear.

I reached for it, hands shaking, and pressed its soft belly. Again, the same words. The same voice. His voice.

How was this possible?

Then it all came back—Lily’s birthday, just a week ago. My mother-in-law, Diane, had arrived with a teddy bear in hand, smiling as she handed it over. I hadn’t paid much attention. Just another toy among many.

Without hesitation, I called her.

“Did you know this bear… talks?” I asked.

There was a pause, followed by a hesitant: “So it finally played.”