A Mother’s Shocking Discovery: Nanny Finds Missing Daughter’s Shoes in Employer’s Home

Woman Starts Working as a Nanny and Finds the Shoes of Her Long-Lost Daughter — Story of the Day

Lori found a pair of shoes that used to belong to her daughter, who disappeared 22 years ago, while working as a nanny. It was something Lori never expected to find again. The shoes, a sobering reminder of the past, had for some reason ended up in the house where she was taking care of a little child.

Pulling the lid off another dusty box, Lori sat on the living room floor, her hands shaking. Her mind was overtaken by old recollections, which made the atmosphere heavy and unsettling for her.

Marissa, the adorable three-year-old whom Lori was watching after, stood close by, her big eyes full of confusion. Marissa was baffled as to why Lori was crying so much. With tears running down her face, Lori was holding onto a small child’s shoe in her hands.

Her daughter, who vanished 22 years ago, had owned this shoe. Her brain raced, trying to figure out what was going on, but nothing made sense. At that moment, Lori heard footsteps and heard the front door crack open. Marissa’s mother Emily walked into the room, worry written all over her face.

“Lori, are you okay?” Emily questioned, her voice quivering with anxiety.

Lori stayed in the dark. “Where did you get these shoes?” she said, her voice cracking slightly. Emily’s pulse pounded. Her eyes slid to the tiny shoe and then to Lori.

She struggled to find the appropriate words and mumbled, “I.

Twenty-two years ago…

Lori sat on the ground, folding clothes with care and packing them into a tiny suitcase. As she packed, she looked at the list next to her and crossed everything off.

It was the first vacation Olive had taken without her, and Lori’s heart ached. Olive was being taken to Scotland by her father, Chris. It was unclear to Lori if she could rely on him to manage things.

She felt nervous at the notion of being apart from her tiny girl and how far Scotland seemed to be. Little Olive, who was four years old, bounded into the room as she closed the luggage.

“Mom, why can’t you come with us?” Olive questioned, her huge eyes gazing up at Lori.

Beside her, Lori crouched and grinned. “I’d love to, sweetie, but this is a special trip for you and your dad.”

Olive scowled. “What will I do without you?”

“You’re going to love spending time with your grandparents,” Lori remarked, removing a frizzy strand from Olive’s face. You’ll discover more about Scotland and the area where your dad was born. It’s a component of your identity.

Olive’s worried eyes widened. “But I’ll miss you.”

As Lori gathered Olive in an embrace, her heart ached. “My love, I’ll miss you too. Still, in five days we’ll be back together before you know it.

Olive withdrew slightly, her expression contemplative. “Is five days a lot or a little?”

“It’s just a little,” Lori patted her daughter’s cheek. “The time will fly by.”

Olive slowly nodded. “All well, but let’s make sure we catch up fast. I swear you will miss me.

With a smile, Lori gave Olive a head kiss. “I swear to you, sweetie. I will really miss you.” She refused to let go of Olive and hugged her tight.

Chris came to get Olive a few hours later. Lori bent over and carefully put Olive’s tiny shoes on. They were special since she had stitched small flowers on them herself.

“Be good for your dad, okay?” With a gentle hug, Lori spoke to Olive.

Lori could still feel a pull in her heart as they headed to the airport, even if Olive nodded and grinned.

Her phone buzzed later. Chris was calling to assure her that they had made it safely. Olive was seen grinning in the airport photo that he provided. Though a tiny amount of relaxation crept into Lori’s grin, a knot of dread persisted in her gut. It didn’t feel quite right.

After four days in Scotland, Chris and Olive were ready to go. They were scheduled to come back the following day. Chris had been really good at emailing Lori pictures of Olive throughout the first three days. Every photo showed Olive grinning and discovering new areas; it brought Lori some comfort.

But nothing materialized on the fourth day. Nothing to message. Absent images. Every hour that went by increased Lori’s concern. Her calls to Chris ended up in voicemail when she attempted to reach him. She sent him a text, expecting a prompt reply. Nothing. Her heart started beating faster.

When she called Chris’s parents, they did not return her call. That’s when she realized there was a problem. She tried again, her hands shaking, but there was still no response. Lori’s mind was constantly racing with terrible ideas as she spent the entire day on the phone.

At last, her phone rang in the evening. On the screen, she noticed Chris’s name. She took it without thinking and replied.

“Chris, how are things going? With a tense voice, Lori said, “I was beginning to worry.”

A pause occurred. “Lori, are you sitting down?” Quietly, Chris questioned.

Lori scowled. “What? Her heart raced as she answered, “Why would I need to sit down?”

“Lori, just respond to the question. Do you have a seat yet?” Chris reiterated in a forceful tone.

Lori trembled in her voice. Yes, I’m seated on the sofa. What is happening?”

“All right. Pay close attention. Remain calm,” Chris said.

Lori found herself gasping for air. “What? Why would I become anxious? Chris, what is going on?”

When Chris eventually said, “Olive is missing,”

Lori’s world began to swirl. “What? By missing, what do you mean? How on earth could she be gone?” She was about to scream.

“This morning, we were strolling through the city. I momentarily lost her sight. She simply vanished. Lori, though, I’ve already called the police. They’re trying to find her,” Chris said.

Lori trembled in her hands. “Since this morning, she has disappeared? And you’re telling me this just now? You lost our daughter!” she cried, her eyes welling with sorrow.

“Lori, I apologize. With a weak voice, Chris said, “I didn’t know what to do.”

“I’m going on the subsequent flight. Without waiting for his answer, Lori continued, “I won’t stop until I find her,” and she hung up the phone, her mind racing.

The very next day, Lori took off for Scotland on a mission to track down Olive. She was unable to sleep or come up with anything else. She devoted years to the quest, spending all of her time and resources in Scotland. She talked to anyone who might have seen Olive, posted posters, and strolled the streets.

However, it seemed as though Olive had disappeared completely. Nobody was aware of anything. Initially, the cops were helpful, but eventually, they gave up searching. Lori persisted in her hunt on her own, unwilling to give up. But her hope grew dimmer with every passing year.

A few years later, she received a call from the police. Olive’s body was found in the river, and although it was difficult to identify, they said it was probably Olive’s. That’s when Lori’s world came crashing down. She felt as though her heart had broken.

At that moment, she realized she had lost her daughter for good. Lori went home devastated and defeated, with no hope left.

Today is the present…

Lori stared at Emily and tried to hold back her emotions, but Emily remained silent, unsure of what to say. Emily remained silent for a while before speaking.

Emily whispered, “These are the shoes my family found me in.” “At the time, I was rather young, so my memories are vague. All I know is that I somehow got lost. I recall taking a bus to a distant city, where my family discovered me. I was adopted later by them.”

It was hard for Lori to breathe. “That’s… impossible,” she murmured in a low voice, brimming with amazement.

Emily paused, then spoke again. “Neither my parents’ entire names nor my origins were known to me. When my adoptive parents searched for them, nobody came forward. They gave up after a while,” she said. “When I was six, we moved here, and I’ve been here ever since.”

Lori’s hands trembled as she wiped her face. Quietly, “Is Emily your real name?” she questioned.

Emily had a perplexed expression. “Not at all. When they found me, I went by a new name. However, after I was adopted, they altered it,” she said.

Lori’s heart hurt. “Your name was Olive, wasn’t it?” Gazing at her, Lori questioned.

Emily’s shocked eyes grew wider. “How… how do you know that name?”

Lifting the tiny sneakers, Lori’s voice faltered. “My kid wore these sneakers. When she vanished in Scotland, she had them on.”

As Emily gazed at her, tears began to well up in her eyes. “I lived there before we moved here.”

Lori’s voice broke as she spoke, “It’s unbelievable that we’ve been so close for so long.” I should never have given up searching.”

Emily’s voice cracked. “So… you’re my mother?”

With another round of tears, Lori nodded. “Yes.”

Emily flung her arms around Lori, who was holding her daughter firmly, just as she had done when Emily was a tiny girl 22 years prior. Lori felt a mixture of disbelief and delight at being reunited after all this time.

They just held each other while they sat there, exchanging no words. For them time stood still. Little Marissa wandered over, inquisitive, after a few moments. Her large eyes met theirs as she put her tiny arms around each of them.

With misty eyes, Emily gave Marissa a gentle head kiss while laughing softly.

Emily mentioned, “So, you’ve already met your granddaughter,” with a softer grin as she glanced down at Marissa, who had moved to sit in between them.

“Yes, I have,” Lori answered, her face lighting up with a loving smile. “I can’t believe I’ve been her nanny for two whole years without realizing she was my granddaughter.” Lori stroked her fingers through Emily’s hair very softly. “When you were younger, your hair had such a vivid red color. The color of Marissa’s hair is the same. How did yours turn out?”

Emily laughed. “In high school, I began dying it. I suppose that I never ceased wanting a change.”

“That’s a shame,” Lori remarked nostalgically. “You had such beautiful hair, just like Marissa’s.”

Again, tears filled Emily’s eyes. She reached in and gave Lori a deep hug, her feelings taking control. Remaining stunned, Lori embraced her daughter and marveled that she could now give her a proper hug again after all these years.

“Lori whispered softly, ‘I might never have discovered you were my daughter if you hadn’t asked me to search through these old boxes.

Emily smiled and dried her eyes. “So, does that mean I don’t have to pay you extra for organizing them?”

With a trembling voice, Lori added, “I’m ready to give you all the money I have, just promise me you’ll never disappear again.”

“I swear,” Emily said in response. Feeling the weight of all those years lost, she gave her mother a hug.

With her arms encircling her daughter as though to keep her from ever going missing again, Lori cradled her. She closed her eyes and breathed in the warmth that she had known for so many years.

She could not shake the feeling that Emily may disappear again. This was really her daughter; she was no longer the young child Lori had lost so many years before, but rather a grown lady who had a life of her own and even a child. She was still Lori’s little Olive, though.

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