“Ma’am, I Can’t Find My Daddy…” The Little Girl Said—The Female CEO Ran After Her Toward the Woods…
A Small Voice in the Snow
The December afternoon was growing dim. The sun was already beginning its early descent behind the pine trees that lined the mountain road.
Catherine Walsh pulled her creamcoled coat tighter as she stepped out of her SUV at the rest stop. She was grateful for a break from the long drive back to the city.
At 38, she’d spent the last 15 years building Walsh consulting into one of the most respected firms in the Northeast. She’d just closed a major deal at a weekend conference in the mountains.
The parking area was nearly empty, just her vehicle and a couple of others scattered across the snowy lot. Catherine was checking her phone, already thinking about the work waiting for her at home.
Then she heard a small voice: “Ma’am.” She looked down to find a little girl standing near her car.
The child couldn’t have been more than four years old with blonde hair pulled into two small pigtails. She wore a red sparkly dress over gray tights and a gray cardigan.
The cardigan seemed far too thin for the cold. Her blue eyes were wide with worry.,
“Hello there?” Catherine said immediately, glancing around for a parent. “Where’s your family sweetheart?”
“I can’t find my daddy.” The little girl said, her voice trembling. “We were walking to see the pretty trees, and I stopped to look at a bird.”
“And when I turned around he was gone. I walked and walked but I can’t find him.”
Catherine’s heart clenched. She knelt down in the snow, not caring about her expensive coat.
“What’s your name honey?” “Melody.” “That’s a beautiful name. I’m Catherine.”
“How long ago did you lose sight of your daddy?” “I don’t know.”
Melody’s eyes filled with tears. “It feels like forever. I’m scared.”
Catherine looked toward the woods that bordered the rest stop. The light was fading fast and the temperature was dropping.
A child alone in these woods after dark wouldn’t survive the night. “Did you come from those woods?” Catherine pointed toward the treeine.
Melody nodded vigorously. “Yes we parked over there.”
She pointed to an empty spot several spaces away. “And daddy said we could walk a little bit because the snow was so pretty, but now I can’t find him and I’m really scared.”,
Catherine stood, her mind racing. She should call the police, of course, but response times in these mountains could be slow and every minute counted.
The woods weren’t vast, but they were dense enough that a person could easily get turned around. “Melody did your daddy tell you his name or do you know your last name?”
“James. Daddy’s name is James Hartley and I’m Melody Rose Hartley.” “Okay Melody Rose.”
Catherine pulled out her phone and quickly dialed 911, reporting the situation while keeping one hand on the child’s shoulder.
The dispatcher assured her help was on the way but acknowledged it would take at least 20 minutes to get someone to their location.
20 minutes. In this cold with night falling, that felt like an eternity.
Catherine made a decision. “Melody I’m going to help you find your daddy. Can you show me exactly where you came out of the woods?”
The little girl’s face brightened with hope. She took Catherine’s hand, her small fingers cold even through her mittens, and led her toward the treeine.,
