Six months ago, my daughter Sarah packed a suitcase while I stood in the kitchen making breakfast. I remember hearing her footsteps upstairs. When she appeared in the doorway holding her two-week-old daughter, Lily, I assumed she was simply stepping outside for some fresh air with the baby.
That felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Instead, she walked quietly into the living room and gently laid Lily in her bassinet, tucking the blanket around her small body with care.
“I’m going to clear my head, Mom,” she said softly, leaning down to kiss the baby’s forehead.
“Okay, sweetheart,” I replied from the stove, stirring the oatmeal. “Don’t stay out too long. It’s cold.”
At the time, nothing about the moment felt strange.
But she never came back.
I didn’t even notice the folded note she left beside the coffeepot until the next morning, after another long, sleepless night with the baby.
