Lost Love, Forgotten Son

of Leo' s sneakers scuffing the pavement, the way he pointed out a fat, fuzzy caterpillar on a

garten came into view, my stomach clenched. This was the

this was where I wou

e gate and pull

take a video for Momm

trembling slightly. I panned slowly, deliberately. I captured Leo' s sm

he big man at school," I sai

arten" sign was clearly visible behind us. I filmed the other parents and children walk

," I said, takin

right, standing near the main door, greeting families. She was a kind-looking woman in her fifties,

ill recording, though I held it lo

Ms. Albright,"

Leo," she said, bending down slightly to smil

d enthusi

voice as formal and clear as I could, making

r, in your care," I announced. "He will b

ossed her face, the same way it had with Ava. It was a strange, stilted thing to

s in safe hands. We' ll

re disappearing around the corner. I stood there for a moment, the phone still in my

my computer. I plugged the phone in and copied the video file. Then I dragged that file into my cloud storage. And then

to the kitchen and back again. I couldn't focus on work. I just stared at the clock on the wall, i

palms were

y the phone, my leg bo

erve in my bod

1:42 AM, the

he school' s number. I snat

ell

as before. "Mr. Miller? It' s Carol Albright from Little Sprouts. There' s...

s. It was a harsh, ugly sound. "An

sir. I can' t discuss it over the

his to me again. I left my son with you. Leo Miller. I

she spoke again, her voice was different. It was sl

. who i

low. "What do you mean, 'who is Leo

u came to the school this morning, yes. But you were alone. You stood in the doorway

Despite the video, despite the witnesses, despite everything. The reali

d, my voice trembling with ra

ioning look on her face. "Who' s

r. I couldn't bear to see the blankn

snarled into the

the door, gra

wrong?" Ava called after me,

d over my shoulder. "I

haotic storm of disbelief and terror. How could this be possible? The video was my anchor. It was th