Around 3 a.m., I woke to an empty bed—Andy was gone, his window slightly open. Panic seized me as I searched the house. Just then, Daisy scratched at the door, muddy and exhausted. Soon after, we got a call from our neighbor, Mrs. Carver, who’d seen a boy by the woods.
We rushed out and found Andy shivering under a tree. Relief flooded me as he hugged Daisy, whispering, “I thought you ran away because of me.”
Back home, I asked Kelly how Daisy had gotten out. She hesitated, then admitted, “I let her out. I thought maybe… if she disappeared, things would go back to normal.” Anger rose, but I kept calm as she realized the consequences.
As we looked at Andy, with Daisy’s head resting in his lap, I told her, “Daisy stays. She belongs with us.”
Family isn’t perfect, but it’s held together by love, trust, and forgiveness—even when we make mistakes.