The birth of our son Noah was supposed to bring me and my wife even closer. He was a blessing that added to our already happy union. Or at least I thought so, because one day, my wife kissed our baby on the forehead, grabbed her purse, and said she was going to the store to grab some diapers, and then, she simply vanished!
After more time that it usually took for a trip to the store passed by, I started to get worried. I waited a bit more, and then I headed to the store to see why my wife hadn’t returned yet.
On the way there, I was cautiously looking around, but she was nowhere to be seen. I entered every store that was close to our home, but still no sign of her.
Upon returning home, I alerted the police who were convincing me that they were doing all in their power to track down my wife who vanished.
Days passed by, and she was still missing.
My heart broke over and over again which each passing day. At one point, the police told me that she could likely be dead, but it was something I didn’t want to believe could be true.
But where was she? Our marriage was picture perfect. We loved each other unconditionally. She would never leave me and our son.
Unfortunately, it looked like Lisa wouldn’t be coming back because of reasons unknown.
I was forced to raise my son all by myself. I only received little help from my parents, while Lisa’s were never around.
Life was hard. I couldn’t move on without the closure I needed badly.
Some 15 years later, Noah was already a teenager. He grew into a loving boy who asked about his mother every now and then. Sadly, I didn’t have answers, and that was tearing me apart.
One day, that was supposed to be as plain as any other since Lisa’s disappearance, I went to the store to grab some waffles. However, as I was hesitating which brand to pick, I lifted my head and noticed a familiar figure.
A woman standing at one of the aisles, reading the labels of the products, resembled Lisa so much that it felt surreal.
I knew that it couldn’t be. My desire to see her was playing tricks on my mind. Still, I decided to approach closer. At that moment, she turned to me.
“Lisa!?” I said. Her hair had a patches of grey and she was aged, but it was my wife, the one who vanished 15 years ago.
Shocked, I barely found the strength to ask more questions.
She looked straight into my eyes and whispered, “Bryan, I can explain. But you need to forgive me!”
My world turned upside down. I started shaking. “Forgive you? Lisa, where have you been all these years? I thought you were dead,” I said, as anger started building up inside me.
Lisa seemed remorseful. She said she was overwhelmed when she became a mother, and she believed our modest life wouldn’t be enough for Noah.
“Bryan, you need to try and understand my reasons. I could stand living paycheck to paycheck.”
She explained that her parents, who were never interested in Noah, helped her move to Europe, where she attended college and built a career.
“But now I’m here. I have enough money to provide a perfect life for us and Noah,” she said. “You know, I returned because I needed to see you. I was planning to call you. I had no idea I would run into you this way.”
Honestly, I couldn’t believe the audacity. “You though you could disappear just like that and then return? No, Lisa, that’s not how life works,” I said.
She begged me to forgive her, but I couldn’t do that. Not after I raised my son all by myself. Not after all the heartbreak and the 15 years spent in mourning the woman I loved without even knowing if she was death or alive.
I simply turned around and left.
My wife, who vanished and left her family behind, was no longer the person I loved. My feelings for her turned into hatred and anger. But at least I got the closure that helped me finally move on with my life.
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Bored Daddy
Love and Peace