The Morning I Followed My Daughter

“That can’t be right,” I said, pushing my chair back. “She leaves the house every morning.”

Mrs. Carter hesitated.

“No,” she said gently. “She hasn’t attended any classes since Monday.”

I ended the call slowly and sat there staring at the wall.

If Emily wasn’t at school…

Where was she going?

That afternoon I tried to keep my voice normal.

“How was school, Em?”

“The usual,” she said, dropping her backpack. “Math homework. History was boring.”

I watched her carefully.