My husband’s frustration filled the room that day. He kept asking for his lucky shirt—the one he needed for his big day—but I was too busy replying to the flood of emails I was buried in.
“I asked you to wash it three days ago,” Andrew said, his voice thick with discontent that barely masked his resentment.
“I can’t do it today, honey,” I said. “I’m going over my checklist, making sure I have everything packed.”
Andrew looked at me with a dose of disbelief. “Alice, are you seriously going on yet another business trip? That would make it third time in a month.”
I squeezed Andrew’s hand and forced a smile, although deep down I felt a rush of guilt. “Honey, I promise, it’s the last one for this month, and I’ll only be away for three days.”
I wanted to promise that I would be home the entire month that followed, but knowing just how demanding my job was, I couldn’t do it without knowing that my words could easily become a lie.
I was aware I was more absent than I was at home. My colleagues often joked that I was spending more time in airport lounges than at home, and the truth was they weren’t entirely wrong.
I was so consumed with my work that it became my priority, but at what cost?
As I grabbed my suitcase, I planted a kiss on my son’s forehead. “Connor, mummy will be home as soon as possible.”
He didn’t even lift his head. His “fine” sounded as cold as ice, but I didn’t think much about it because I knew Andrew, who worked as a graphic designer and could work from home, would take great care of our son.
The business trip went even better than I expected. Unfortunately, it meant spending even more time at the office and away from home.
Once home, I rushed to Connor’s room to greet him, but it was then that I overheard my son talking to someone – my world collapsed when he called another woman “mom.”
“I’ll tell you about my day tomorrow, mom,” he said. “I’m coming to see you instead of going to school, okay?”
I froze. Who was my son talking to?
The following day, I decided to take a day off and followed after him when he left the house.
Instead of going to school, he stood in front of a house I have never seen before and knocked on the door. A nice looking woman opened the door and Connor kissed her before he gt inside.
I was quick to knock myself. When the woman opened the door I demanded to see Connor. “Who are you and why is my son calling you mom?” I demanded to know.
“I’m Sierra,” she said, disturbed and shocked by my presence.
It was then that Connor got outside.
“Mom, what are you doing here?” he asked me as though he didn’t want me there.
“Connor, why are you calling this woman mom?” I asked him, with tears rolling down my face.
“This is Sierra. She helps me with my homework. I feel safe when I’m with her.”
Sierra tried to explain that she never asked from Connor to call her “mom,” it just happened over time.
“Over time!?” I asked, totally confused. “How long has my son been visiting you?”
It turned out that Connor missed me very much when I was away so Andrew posted an ad, looking for someone to help him around schoolwork.
The truth was that my son needed a mother, but I was never there for him and that’s why he called another woman “mom.” I was so consumed with my work that I forgot my son missed my presence.
I felt guilty for being absent for so long. My relationship with my son and my husband was never the same. Was there still time for things to change? I wasn’t certain.
However, I made a decision to take things slow. I called my boss first thing in the morning, explaining that I needed a few days for myself. I wasn’t accepting that many projects, and slowly, I regained my son’s love.
This experience, no matter how painful it was, taught me to always put my family first.
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Bored Daddy
Love and Peace
