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\nFor illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
My son, Sam, started drawing strange pictures, ones I couldn\u2019t understand. They weren\u2019t just the innocent scribbles of a child; they seemed to tell a story he believed in\u2014a story that involved his father, who wasn\u2019t supposed to be here anymore.<\/p>\n
Tired and worn out, I dragged myself home from work, my feet heavy with exhaustion. But before I could think about resting, I had to stop by my mom\u2019s house to pick up my son, Sam.<\/p>\n
\nFor illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
I was doing everything I could to make sure Sam had a good childhood, even though things were tough. I didn\u2019t want him to see how much we were struggling.<\/p>\n
As I walked up to my mom\u2019s house, the familiar sight of her little garden brought a small smile to my face. I knocked on the door, and before I could lower my hand, she opened it.<\/p>\n
As soon as I stepped inside, my mom took one look at me and frowned. \u201cYou look terrible,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks, Mom,\u201d I replied with a bit of sarcasm.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need more rest,\u201d she insisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know I can\u2019t,\u201d I said, shaking my head slightly. \u201cWe need the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Sam needs a healthy and happy mom, Scarlett,\u201d she argued.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/159f870db1bf3b9aa0373e3ac59320a18ec9737be4d6022c6a1c77a7b9a7c43f.webp\")
\nFor illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Sam also needs fresh, tasty food on the table, clothes that fit, and to stay in school,\u201d I shot back.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to ruin yourself at this rate,\u201d she warned. \u201cI still can\u2019t believe Jake\u2019s sister got his insurance, not you.\u201d The mention of Jake, my husband, made my chest tighten.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d I muttered, not wanting to get into it again. I didn\u2019t have the strength for this conversation. We had gone over it too many times. \u201cWhere\u2019s Sam?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the living room, drawing again,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s getting harder for me to understand his drawings each time.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me about it,\u201d I said with a weary sigh.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve lost so much weight,\u201d Mom continued. \u201cShould I heat some dinner for you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, thanks, I ate at work,\u201d I lied, not wanting to admit how little I\u2019d actually eaten. \u201cDid Sam eat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, but don\u2019t think you can fool your mother,\u201d she said, seeing right through me. \u201cI\u2019ll pack you some dinner to take with you.\u201d Before I could protest, she was already heading toward the kitchen.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, you don\u2019t have to!\u201d I called after her, but she didn\u2019t stop. She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me to sigh heavily and call out, \u201cSam! Let\u2019s go home!\u201d<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t long before Sam came running, his face lighting up when he saw me. \u201cMom!\u201d he shouted, throwing his arms around me in a big hug.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, sweetheart. How was your day?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll good! I drew a lot of pictures,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/63e0645cd72ca15d5b7fc0a70b4ceed31ddef5af8879e7492a9dc5d32741c488.webp\")
\nFor illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat. You\u2019ll show me all of them at home.\u201d I took his hand and started leading him toward the front door. \u201cMom, we\u2019re leaving!\u201d I called out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait!\u201d she shouted from the kitchen, hurrying over with several containers of food, which she promptly stuffed into my bag. She pulled me into a quick hug. \u201cTake care, dear, and don\u2019t forget to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, Mom, bye,\u201d I said, giving her a tired smile as Sam and I headed out the door.<\/p>\n
I took Sam\u2019s hand, and we went home. Thankfully, we didn\u2019t live far because I was beyond exhausted.<\/p>\n
When we got inside, the first thing I did was send him off to play. \u201cGo ahead, sweetheart. Mommy needs a quick shower.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shower was a brief escape, and I let the warm water wash away some of the day\u2019s weight. But as soon as I stepped out, Sam was there, bursting with excitement.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, I want to show you my drawings!\u201d he said, pulling me toward his little table. I sat down, and he spread out his drawings, eager to share every detail.<\/p>\n
Sam laid out another drawing, his little finger pointing to a picture that resembled two figures. \u201cThis is me and Dad walking in the park,\u201d he said with a proud smile. I felt my heart tighten at his words. I could see how much he missed Jake. \u201cThis is us playing, and this is us boating,\u201d Sam continued.<\/p>\n
Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at the drawing of them on the boat. I gently pulled Sam close, holding the picture in my hand. \u201cWould you like to go boating with Dad, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam looked up at me with a serious expression. \u201cUh\u2026 I drew what we already did. I\u2019ve already been boating with Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSam, it\u2019s okay to dream, but Dad is in heaven now,\u201d I said gently. \u201cWe need to learn to separate reality from dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam shook his head firmly. \u201cYeah, I know, but these aren\u2019t dreams. Dad isn\u2019t in heaven. I even saw him today,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n
My heart ached. \u201cSam, I\u2019m struggling too, but we need to learn how to cope with things together.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes filled with frustration. \u201cDo you think I\u2019m lying?! I\u2019m telling the truth!\u201d he shouted, and before I could say anything, he ran out of the room, slamming the bathroom door behind him.<\/p>\n
I spent what felt like hours outside the door, trying to coax him out. Finally, I managed to lure him out with the promise of his favorite cartoon.<\/p>\n
The next morning, after I dropped Sam off at school, I found myself feeling uneasy. His words from the night before echoed in my mind. I knew I needed help, so before heading to work, I decided to visit a child therapist.<\/p>\n
Linda was someone I could trust. We had studied together at the same university, and we used to be close friends, though life had pulled us in different directions over the years.<\/p>\n
I stepped into Linda\u2019s office. \u201cHi,\u201d I said quietly, trying to smile.<\/p>\n
Linda looked up from her desk and gave me a warm smile. \u201cScarlett, it\u2019s been a while. How are you holding up?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m managing,\u201d I replied, though my voice betrayed my exhaustion. \u201cBut I\u2019m really worried about Sam. Since Jake\u2019s death, he\u2019s been acting\u2026 differently. He\u2019s always drawing, and he keeps saying he spends time with Jake.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to Jake? You\u2019ve never really talked about it with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took a deep breath. \u201cJake went on a hike. When a week passed and he didn\u2019t come back, I got worried. He wasn\u2019t answering texts or calls, so we started a search operation with the police. At first, he was considered missing. But then they found his belongings\u2026 torn apart. The police said he was killed by wild animals and declared him dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda\u2019s eyes softened with sympathy. \u201cThat\u2019s awful, Scarlett. It must be so hard for you and Sam. I think Sam might be acting this way because he never got to say goodbye to his dad. It\u2019s possible he\u2019s holding on to something that isn\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded. \u201cWhat should I do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you bring Sam in today? I can talk to him and see if we can figure out what\u2019s going on in his mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would really appreciate that,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo problem,\u201d Linda replied with a reassuring smile. \u201cOh, and bring his drawings too. I\u2019d like to take a look at them.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded and left Linda\u2019s office, my mind racing with thoughts. I knew this was important, so I decided to take some time off work. After picking Sam up from school, I headed straight back to Linda\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
Once we arrived, I watched him walk into Linda\u2019s office, holding his stack of drawings tightly.<\/p>\n
I waited outside, the minutes stretching into what felt like hours. After an hour and a half\u2014much longer than I expected\u2014Linda finally emerged. Her face was serious which made my heart skip a beat.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, how is he?\u201d I asked, my voice trembling with worry.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s complicated, Scarlett,\u201d Linda said gently. \u201cSam truly believes he\u2019s spending time with Jake. He described each meeting with so much detail, even recounting their conversations as if they really happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what to do,\u201d I whispered, covering my face with my hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can work with him, help him through this,\u201d Linda offered.<\/p>\n
I shook my head. \u201cI can\u2019t afford that, Linda. I\u2019m barely making ends meet as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda leaned forward, placing a hand on my arm. \u201cScarlett, I didn\u2019t say I\u2019d charge you. You don\u2019t have to worry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Linda, that\u2019s not right. I can\u2019t let you do this for free.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay. We all need help sometimes, and I\u2019m here for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tears finally escaped my eyes as I hugged her tightly. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
As she pulled back, Linda\u2019s expression grew serious again. \u201cOne more thing, Scarlett. Sam told me that Jake is supposed to pick him up tonight, and they\u2019re going somewhere together. Please keep an eye on him, but don\u2019t intervene unless it\u2019s life-threatening. We need to understand what he\u2019s going through.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded. \u201cOkay, thank you for everything, Linda.\u201d<\/p>\n
I picked up Sam, and we headed home. As we walked, I couldn\u2019t help but ask, \u201cSo, you and Dad are going somewhere tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Sam said with a confident nod. \u201cHe told me to go outside the Green\u2019s house at night and wait for him. He\u2019s going to pick me up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd where are you going?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad didn\u2019t say, but I\u2019ll come to visit you, I promise,\u201d Sam replied.<\/p>\n
I just nodded, feeling a deep ache inside. My poor Sam, I thought, as I held his hand a little tighter.<\/p>\n
That evening, as Sam was getting ready for bed, I spotted a walkie-talkie on his bedside table. They looked just like the ones Jake used to have.<\/p>\n
\u201cSam, where did you get this?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
He looked up at me. \u201cDad gave it to me. He said this way I\u2019ll know when to go outside to meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n
This really worried me. I hadn\u2019t found any walkie-talkies when we moved out after Jake\u2019s death, and something felt wrong.<\/p>\n
A few hours later, I heard a noise coming from Sam\u2019s room. My heart skipped a beat as I quietly approached his door and peeked inside. To my shock, I saw Sam climbing out of the window.<\/p>\n
Remembering Linda\u2019s advice, I stayed calm. Since it was the first floor, I knew he wouldn\u2019t get hurt.<\/p>\n
I slipped out the front door and followed him from a distance, my nerves on edge. Sam headed straight for the Green\u2019s house, just like he said. The street was empty, but then a car pulled up nearby.<\/p>\n
A man in a hood got out, and I couldn\u2019t see his face at first. My breath caught in my throat as he walked toward Sam. But then, under the streetlight, I saw his face clearly.<\/p>\n
It was\u2026 Jake. He looked just as he had before, alive. My heart pounded as I watched in disbelief. Jake took Sam\u2019s hand, and they started toward the car. Suddenly, a police siren wailed, and red and blue lights flashed.<\/p>\n
Officers who had been hiding nearby rushed out. I had called them when I found the walkie-talkie and asked for someone to guard the house.<\/p>\n
Jake grabbed Sam, trying to flee, but the police were quicker. They stopped him, and I ran over to take Sam from Jake\u2019s arms, holding him close as relief and fear overwhelmed me.<\/p>\n
\u201cJake, how is this possible?\u201d I asked, my voice trembling.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you expect, Scarlett?! I needed the money! I didn\u2019t see any other way!\u201d Jake yelled back.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you faked your death?!\u201d I couldn\u2019t believe what I was hearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah! I got the insurance money!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you even realize how much we suffered?!\u201d I cried out. \u201cAnd now you wanted to take my son away from me too?!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI could take better care of him! You\u2019re barely making ends meet!\u201d Jake snapped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s only because of you!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never worked a day since Sam was born! Do you think it was easy for me?!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wanted me to stay home and take care of Sam!\u201d I reminded him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s my son too!\u201d Jake insisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou abandoned him! You abandoned both of us!\u201d I shouted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would have given him a better life now!\u201d Jake argued.<\/p>\n
I shook my head. \u201cYou\u2019re a crazy psychopath! Take him away,\u201d I said to the police. They quickly put Jake in the car.<\/p>\n
As Sam and I started walking home, he looked up at me with wide eyes. \u201cWhat will happen to Dad now?\u201d he asked softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat he deserves,\u201d I replied, holding him close.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My son, Sam, started drawing strange pictures, ones I couldn\u2019t understand. They weren\u2019t just the innocent scribbles of a child; they seemed to tell a story he believed in\u2014a story that involved his father, who wasn\u2019t supposed to be here anymore. Tired and worn out, I dragged myself home from work, my feet heavy with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15001"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15008,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15001\/revisions\/15008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}