23/12/2024
The next morning, Lily dropped her spoon and said, sing-song, "Daddy hates loud noises." I froze. Claire had only ever said their dad was "gone."
On Friday, Claire went to work while I stayed home with the girls, who were sick. Around midday, Emma came up to me with Lily close behind.
"Do you want to visit Daddy?" she asked.
"What?" I stammered.
"In the basement," Lily added casually. "Mommy keeps him there."
My blood ran cold. Was Claire hiding something? Was their dad… alive?
"Sure," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Let's go see." ⬇️