The Fifth Heart in Our Home

One evening, we playfully asked our 2.5-year-old daughter, “How many people live in our house?” Expecting her to say four—my husband,

me, her baby brother, and herself—we were surprised when she confidently answered, “Five.” At first,

we laughed, assuming she meant the cat. But she shook her head and pointed toward the hallway.

“Who else, sweetheart?” I asked. She whispered, “The nice lady. She sings to me when I can’t sleep.” The words left us silent.

Children often invent imaginary friends, we reminded ourselves. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about it—especially

when I later heard her softly humming a lullaby from my own childhood.

It was the very song my late grandmother used to sing to me, a tune I had never shared with my daughter.

The coincidence felt impossible to dismiss. Whether it was imagination, memory, or something more, the moment deeply moved me.

That night, as I tucked her in, I realized family isn’t only those physically present. Love lingers and carries forward in mysterious ways.

Perhaps my daughter was right—there are indeed five hearts in our home, bound together by connection that transcends time.