Colleen and Ray brought home a young boy, only to find him nursing a baby in his room the next day. What followed were alarming revelations that changed the couple’s life forever.Ray raised an eyebrow at Colleen preparing boxed mac and cheese. “You’re making mac and cheese from a box?””It’s for Ben. He’s been so quiet,” Colleen replied, stirring the cheese into the pasta. “I thought he might like it.”Ray rubbed her shoulders. “He’s still adjusting. He’s been with us for a day. But, this might help.”
They called Ben to eat. The boy, 6, devoured his meal quickly, asking to return to his room immediately after.Concerned, Colleen and Ray decided to talk to him. Entering Ben’s room, they were shocked to find him feeding a baby…”Ben, who’s baby is that?” Colleen asked.”She’s my sister,” Ben said, looking nervous.”Your sister?” Colleen echoed, confused.”Not really. She’s the new foster at my old home. I couldn’t leave her,” Ben explained.Colleen’s suggestion was to call Mrs. Campbell, the foster coordinator, but Ben protested. “No! She can’t take her back. Mr. and Mrs. Franklin, my foster parents, they’re not good people!”
“What do you mean?” Colleen asked, taking the baby from him.”They’re evil. She’ll be in danger,” Ben insisted fearfully.Colleen and Ray exchanged worried glances. Ben revealed Mr. Franklin had hurt him.Ray comforted Ben. “You don’t have to be afraid. We’ll help you.”Eventually, Ben fell asleep in Ray’s arms, the baby safe in Colleen’s.Ray wrapped Ben in his blanket, and he and Colleen stepped out with the baby.”What are we going to do?” Colleen whispered. “We can’t keep the baby. We’ll get arrested.””I don’t know,” Ray replied. “But I don’t think Ben’s lying.”
videos,” he pointed accusingly at Mrs. Campbell and Mr. Franklin. “Mr. Franklin was doing stuff to other boys. Terrible stuff. He had his—” The boy made a gesture toward his pant area, and there were several exhales from the gathered crowd.Ray and Colleen were horrified.”He’s misunderstood,” Mrs. Campbell tried to deflect, her voice trembling.”Do you think he’s lying?” Officer Tristan asked Alan.”I don’t,” Alana declared, shaking her head at Mrs. Campbell. “I have proof of their irregular foster placements.””There are throwing around baseless accusations! I’ll sue you!” Mr. Franklin threatened.”Don’t you dare threaten anyone here, you pervert,” Ray said. “You’ll be in jail for a long time for what you, your ugly wife, and this horrible woman have done to many kids. Check out their home, Officers. They probably have the videos.””We have your address right here in this document, right? Let’s go right now.” Officer Tristan began to walk to his car, but he didn’t get far.”NO!” Mr. Franklin exclaimed and tackled the cop to the ground. The other cops rushed to help their coworker.”Well, Mr. Franklin, you just assaulted an officer of the law,” Officer Tristan said, wiping his hands as he stood. “You’re under arrest.”Officer Carson then decided to involve Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Franklin in the investigation. “If you’re innocent, you have nothing to fear,” he said, indicating they’d be looked into as well.As everyone left, Ben burst into tears, and Colleen and Ray comforted him. “You were so brave, Ben. You may have saved so many other kids,” Colleen said, holding both children close.The next day, Alana updated Ray and Colleen over the phone. “The kid, Colin, came forward. Told the cops everything about the Franklins. They’re searching their house now. Mr. Franklin is still detained. Cynthia left. But if she runs, that’ll only implicate her more.”Suddenly, Colleen asked, “What about the baby girl’s name?””It’s Grace,” Alana answered. “If you want, I can help you adopt her.”Ray and Colleen looked at each other and instantly agreed.Later, the cops found incriminating evidence at the Franklin’s house, including videos involving Mrs. Campbell. This led to charges of abuse and worse crimes against the Franklins and Mrs. Campbell. Meanwhile, Colleen, Ray, Ben, and Grace started fresh.Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.If you enjoyed reading this story, you might like this one about a young girl who looks at her new teacher and exclaims, “My dad has a picture of you!” The teacher is shocked. How come the girl’s father knows her?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. If you would like to share your story, please send it to
