I came home early to surprise my seven-year-old son. Instead, Gideon begged me not to enter his room and warned that I would be angry. Then I heard a whisper behind the door.PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng! I had been away for four days.It did not sound like much when I first agreed to the work trip.
Source: OriginalFour days would pass quickly. That was what I kept telling myself while packing my suitcase on Monday morning.But four days was long enough to miss my son’s bedtime stories.PAY ATTENTION: From breaking news to viral moments. Follow Legit.ng on Instagram!Long enough to miss the way he always asked for one more glass of water after I tucked him in.Long enough to start feeling guilty every time he asked, “When are you coming home, Mom?”My seven-year-old son, Gideon, had never liked it when I traveled. He understood that my job sometimes required me to leave, but understanding did not make it easier for him.The first night, he had called me from his bed.”Your aunt Eunice checked it twice,” I assured him.”Did she check the windows?””Yes.””All of them?”I smiled, even though he could not see me.
“All of them.”There was a pause.”Can you tell me the dragon story?”So I did. I sat alone in a hotel room, still wearing my work clothes, and told him the same story I had made up years ago about a shy dragon who was afraid of the dark.The third night, he sounded upset.”You said four sleeps,” he reminded me.”I know, sweetheart.””I already did three.””That means there is only one left.”He went quiet again.”When are you coming home, Mom?””Tomorrow evening.””Promise?””I promise.”My meetings had run longer than expected, and I had spent most of the afternoon staring at the clock while pretending to listen to a presentation.Then my manager announced that our final session had been canceled.I changed my flight immediately.So when my flight landed early, I decided not to tell anyone.I wanted to surprise Gideon.I imagined walking through the door and hearing him yell my name. I pictured him running toward me in his socks, probably knocking over something on the way. Source: OriginalEunice would roll her eyes, and I would laugh while Gideon tried to climb into my arms even though he was getting too big to carry.The taxi dropped me off a little after 4 p.m.
Eunice’s car was parked in the driveway, exactly where I expected it to be. The curtains were open, but I did not see anyone moving inside.I dragged my suitcase up the front path as quietly as possible. I planned to open the door, sneak into the living room, and call out Gideon’s name.I never got the chance.The front door flew open before I even reached for my keys.Gideon wrapped his arms around my waist so tightly I could barely breathe.”Mom!”His hair smelled like the strawberry shampoo he refused to admit he liked. His cheek pressed against my coat, and his arms locked around me as if he thought I might disappear again.
Source: OriginalFor a second, everything felt normal.I closed my eyes and held him tighter.”I missed you so much,” I whispered.”I missed you more.””Impossible.””No, I counted.””You counted how much you missed me?”He nodded seriously. “A lot.”Then he looked up at me.His smile faded.At first, I thought he had remembered something he had done wrong. Gideon had a very specific guilty face. His eyes became wide, his mouth tightened, and he suddenly found the floor fascinating.This was different.His face went pale.His voice trembled.”Please don’t go into my room.”I stared at him for a moment, then laughed, assuming he’d made a mess while I was away.Gideon had once built a cardboard city across his bedroom floor and then covered half the wall with blue marker because, according to him, every city needed a sky.”What happened?
Did you draw on the walls again?”He shook his head so hard that tears filled his eyes.”No.”The fear in his voice wiped the smile from my face.He glanced nervously toward the hallway.”I promised I wouldn’t let anyone in.” Source: OriginalI frowned.”Promised WHO?”He didn’t answer.His grip tightened around my sleeve. I could feel his small fingers trembling through the fabric.That was when I realized something else was wrong.Not peaceful. Not calm. Silent.There was no music playing in the kitchen, even though Eunice always listened to music while cooking.
The television was off. I could not hear the washing machine, the dishwasher, or someone moving upstairs.Eunice had been staying with him while I was away.She was 32, dependable, and more protective of Gideon than almost anyone I knew. She had rearranged her work schedule without complaint when I asked her to stay.When I called her name, no one replied.”Eunice?”Nothing.I stepped inside and closed the front door behind me. Gideon stayed close enough that his shoulder pressed against my hip.”Maybe she’s in the kitchen,” I said, more to calm myself than him.I checked the kitchen.Empty.Two mugs sat beside the sink.
One had a tea bag still floating inside it. The other looked untouched. Source: OriginalThe backyard.Empty.Eunice’s car was still parked in the driveway.My pulse quickened.I returned to the hallway, where Gideon stood exactly where I had left him.”Gideon,” I asked softly, “where’s Aunt Eunice?”He stared at the floor.”I… I don’t know.”That was impossible.She would never leave him alone.I crouched in front of him and gently placed my hands on his shoulders.His lower lip shook.”I don’t know.””Did she go outside?”He shook his head.”Did someone come to the house?”His eyes darted toward the hallway again.Then I noticed something.A faint strip of light was shining from under Gideon’s bedroom door.Gideon was careful about lights because Eunice had convinced him that every bulb left on was costing me a fortune.And there was another sound.So faint I almost missed it.Not footsteps.Not the television.A low whisper.Followed by the scrape of something heavy being dragged across the floor.Every muscle in my body went rigid.
Source: OriginalHis tiny fingers were shaking.”Mom… please.””They said you’d be angry if you found out.”My heart began pounding.They.Not she.Not he.They.Gideon followed me for one step, then stopped.The whispering suddenly stopped.The room fell completely silent.I wrapped my hand around the doorknob, pushed the door open just a few inches… and froze.The first thing I saw was Eunice.She was crouched beside Gideon’s bed with one hand pressed to her mouth.The second thing I saw was a man I had not seen in eight years. Source: OriginalMy father.He looked older than I remembered. His dark hair had gone almost completely gray, and his shoulders seemed narrower beneath his brown coat. A cardboard box sat open at his feet.
Beside it, Eunice had dragged Gideon’s toy chest away from the wall.That must have been the scraping sound.”Dad?” I whispered.My father slowly stood.”Agnes.”Hearing my name in his voice made something inside me tighten. He had said it that way when I was a child, usually before apologizing for another broken promise.”What are you doing here?”Eunice rose quickly. “Before you get angry, let me explain.””You told Gideon not to let anyone in?””No,” she replied. “Dad did.”My father looked ashamed.
“I thought we would be gone before you got home.”Gideon appeared behind me and wrapped both arms around my waist.”I didn’t tell her,” he said nervously. “She came early.””You did nothing wrong.”Then I looked at Eunice.”
