She hugged me back, but it was brief, almost rushed. « I will- Mom. Thanks. »
And with that, she was gone, rushing off to catch her plane and leaving behind Tommy.
Tommy was easy to distract, thankfully. We spent the day playing games, reading stories, and indulging in his favorite snacks. I pushed aside the gnawing sense of unease and focused on keeping him happy. After all, Jane had promised she’d be back soon.
There was no reason to think otherwise. It wasn’t until later that evening, after my grandson spilled juice all over himself during dinner, that I went to the suitcase to fetch him a fresh set of clothes. What I discovered left me shocked and even more worried!
I opened it, expecting to find the usual, pajamas, t shirts, maybe a toy or two. But what I found stopped me cold… At first glance, it was just clothes. But as I sifted through them, I realized they weren’t just for a week.
There were winter cl0thes, thick sweaters, a coat, and gloves. Then spring clothes, rain boots, and a lighter jacket. My heart started to pound! Why would Jane pack for multiple seasons if she was only going to be gone for a week?
Then I found what looked like the boy’s toys and medicine, Tommy’s inhaler, allergy pills, and a bottle of cough syrup. Things Jane would never forget if she was planning for a longer stay. The pieces started to fall into place, and I felt a chill crawl up my spine.
This wasn’t just a short two-week trip. I kept digging, my hands shaking now. At the bottom of the suitcase was a plain white envelope with my name written on it in Jane’s handwriting.
Inside, there was cash. A lot of it! More than I’d ever seen her carry. My breath caught in my throat as a horrible realization began to dawn on me. Jane wasn’t planning on coming back anytime soon… maybe ever!
My mind raced as I tried to make sense of it all. Why would she leave Tommy with me like this? Why wouldn’t she tell me if something was wrong? I grabbed my phone and called her, but it went straight to voicemail.
