When Kevin’s phone rang that afternoon, he almost ignored it. Buried under paperwork and stress from another long day at the office, he wasn’t in the mood for distractions. But when he saw the screen flash “Home”, something inside him shifted.
He answered quickly. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said with a tired smile. “Shouldn’t you be napping? Where’s Mommy?”
A soft, trembling voice came through — his five-year-old daughter, Lily.
“Daddy,” she whispered, “Mommy left the house.”
Kevin froze. “What do you mean, honey? Where did she go?”
“She took her suitcase,” Lily said. “She told me you’d come home soon.”
That was all it took. Kevin dropped everything, grabbed his keys, and raced home. His calls to Laurel, his wife, went unanswered — each one going straight to her old cheerful voicemail that now sounded heartbreakingly empty.
When he finally arrived, Lily was sitting on the steps, clutching her stuffed rabbit, eyes red from crying. Kevin scooped her into his arms, whispering, “It’s okay, baby. Daddy’s here now.”
Continue reading on next page…