Chapter 2: Children Say Strange Things

I laughed softly at first.

“Smaller? You sleep alone in a bed bigger than mine.”

Emily shook her head, serious in that quiet way children become when adults are not listening carefully enough.

“No. I fixed it.”

I brushed it off. Children say strange things. Their dreams spill into the morning. Their imaginations leave footprints all over breakfast.

But the next morning, she said it again.

And the next.

“I keep waking up.”

“It feels squished.”

“I get pushed.”

Each sentence landed a little heavier than the last. Still, I told myself there had to be a simple explanation. A twisted blanket. A stuffed animal under her back. A dream she could not fully remember.

Then one night, while I was folding laundry, Emily looked up at me and asked the question that made my stomach tighten.

“Mom… did you come into my room last night?”… Continue Reading ⬇️