My sister, now 33, is a single mom to three energetic kids, each with their own unique personality.

I love them dearly, and since she works long hours, I babysit them for free four times a week.

It’s exhausting but rewarding — especially seeing their little faces light up when I arrive.

Recently, though, something happened that left me shaken.

My 5-year-old nephew tugged at my sleeve, his big eyes filled with worry, and whispered,

“Auntie, I saw Mommy hiding your…” before stopping abruptly, as if afraid to continue.

My heart skipped a beat.

For illustrative purpose only
I knelt down and gently asked him what he meant.

After a while, he said quietly, “Mommy hid your necklace in her room.”

It was a special heirloom necklace that belonged to our late grandmother, and I’d been frantically searching for it for days.

I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, so I asked him to show me where he saw it.