I asked the nurse, my voice trembling.“Where’s my wife?”“She checked out this morning,” the nurse said hesitantly. “She said you knew.”Knew? I had no clue. I drove home with the twins, my mind racing, replaying every moment of Suzie’s pregnancy. She seemed happy — or was I blind?When I got home, my mom was there, smiling and holding a casserole. “Oh, let me see my grandbabies!”I pulled back. “Not yet, Mom. What did you do to Suzie?”She blinked, looking surprised. “What do you mean?”I stepped inside, my arms still cradling the twins in their car seats. “She left. All she left was a note telling me to ask you why.”
Mom’s face fell. She set the casserole down on the kitchen counter, and the usual cheery twinkle in her eye vanished. “I… I don’t know what she’s talking about. Let me hold the babies first, and then we’ll figure this out.”“Mom, please.” I tried to keep my voice steady. “Tell me you didn’t threaten her or scare her away. She’s gone, okay? I have no idea where she is.”Her bottom lip trembled. “Son, believe me. I’d never do anything to chase away the mother of my grandchildren. You have to believe me.”My pulse hammered in my ears. Before I could speak again, one of the girls started to cry, and my heart almost broke under the weight of everything happening. I carefully lifted the little one from her carrier, trying to calm her with a soft sway. I looked at Mom, and she was tearing up at the sight of her granddaughter. It was impossible to think she had done something malicious… yet Suzie’s note wouldn’t leave my mind.
After settling the babies in their crib—thankfully, they both fell asleep again—I found Mom in the living room, staring at an old family photo on the mantel.“Mom,” I said softly, sitting beside her. “What aren’t you telling me? Because Suzie must have had a reason for leaving.”She exhaled sharply, hands twisting in her lap. “I don’t know the details. But a few months back, Suzie came to me with some concerns. She said you were spending all your time at work. She felt neglected. She talked about postpartum anxiety, even though the babies hadn’t arrived yet. She was scared.”“That’s normal, though,” I replied. My throat felt tight. “We all get anxious before a big life change, especially a baby. Or twins. But that’s no reason to just vanish.”Mom looked down at her hands.
“She asked me if she should stay in the marriage or if I could help her leave discreetly. I told her I’d support her either way, but I hoped she’d talk to you.”“Wait… you said you’d support her leaving?” My frustration flared. “Mom, we’re supposed to be a team.”“I was trying to do right by her!” she protested. “You weren’t paying attention to what she was going through. I told her how scared I was when I was young, pregnant with you, feeling alone in a new town. She kept saying, ‘Your son won’t understand—he’s never around.’ And I told her if she felt she couldn’t handle it, if she needed to go, I’d help her find a safe place. But I didn’t think she’d run away right after giving birth.”
