01/01/2025
MY HUSBAND DISAPPEARED ON CHRISTMAS EVE—THE NEXT MORNING, HE CAME HOME WITH A THREE-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN HIS ARMS
Christmas Eve was supposed to be magical for our boys, Ryan and Liam, who were 5 and 7. I spent the day cooking their favorite dishes, setting out cookies for Santa, and making everything perfect. James, my husband of nine years, had been distracted all day, glued to his phone with a furrowed brow.
Around 7 p.m., just as I was plating the ham, he abruptly said, “I forgot something. I’ll be back soon,” and left before I could object.
The boys didn’t notice, too busy debating if Santa’s reindeer could fly. I tucked them in, promising Daddy would read them a story when he got home. Hours passed. Midnight came and went. My calls went unanswered. Anxiety gnawed at me, but eventually, I fell asleep.
At 6 a.m., I heard the front door creak. Relief washed over me—until I saw him. James stood there, pale and disheveled, holding a little girl no older than three in his arms. She looked at me with wide, teary eyes before burying her face in his shoulder.
“James,” I whispered, shaking. “Who is this?”
He placed the girl on the couch, shrugged off his coat, and muttered, “SORRY.”
“Sorry?” My voice rose. “You’ve been gone all night, and you walk in here with a child? What is this?”⬇️ See less