The Strange Comment That Changed Everything
I’d wrapped up a meeting earlier than expected. My boss canceled the afternoon session, and instead of killing time somewhere, I thought: Why not go home and spend extra time with Liam?
When I walked in, the house was quiet — that late-afternoon silence where you suddenly notice the hum of the fridge and the ticking clock.
I called out to my wife, Stella. No answer.
I found Liam in the living room, buried in a sea of Lego bricks, with our neighbor Mrs. Daley sitting on the couch, knitting.
“Your wife asked me to hang around for a bit while she’s out,” she said. “Important meeting.”
It tracked. Stella had mentioned a big deadline at work.
After Mrs. Daley left, I changed into sweatpants, grabbed some water, and dropped to the floor beside Liam. It felt… good. Normal. One of those small, ordinary moments you don’t realize you’ve been missing until you’re right in the middle of it.
We started building a tower. Liam narrated everything like usual, giving the Lego king a backstory and a kingdom. Then, almost as an afterthought, he said:
“Daddy, when you go, a new dad comes to us.”
I froze inside. I laughed a bit out of habit — kids say weird things all the time — but this didn’t sound like imagination.
“What do you mean, buddy? What new dad?”
He kept building. Didn’t look up.
“The one who comes when you’re not here. Mommy says he’s helping.”
A cold weight settled in my chest.
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