Marissa lived alone, but her father always wanted to make sure she felt safe. 
Whenever he visited, he would secretly hide a tiny plastic soldier somewhere in her home. He jokingly called it her “security system.” 
Over the years, Marissa found the little soldiers in the funniest places — near the cereal, behind the TV, beside the toilet paper, and in other unexpected spots. 
After her father passed away, Marissa thought she had finally found them all.
But three years later, while changing a light bulb, she took apart a kitchen light fixture and discovered one more soldier hidden inside. 
The tiny figure was lying face down with a rifle, positioned as if it were guarding the front door. 
Marissa couldn’t help but smile when she found it. She joked that she had apparently had a little “sniper” protecting her all along. 
But beneath the laughter was something much deeper — a beautiful reminder of her father’s love, humor, and the little ways he tried to protect her.
She said she missed him deeply, but finding that forgotten little soldier made her feel as though a small piece of her dad was still watching over her. 
