I\u2019d been away on a business trip for a week, and let me tell you, I was itching to get home. My boys, Tommy and Alex, were probably bouncing off the walls waiting for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I mean, a week is practically forever when you\u2019re 6 and 8. And Mark? Well, I figured he\u2019d be glad to hand the reins back to me. He\u2019s a great dad, don\u2019t get me wrong, but he\u2019s always been more of the fun parent than the responsible one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I pulled into our driveway at midnight, I couldn\u2019t help but grin. The house was dark and quiet, just as it should be at this ungodly hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grabbed my suitcase and tiptoed to the front door, keys jingling softly in my han<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lock clicked open, and I stepped inside, ready to collapse into bed. But something was\u2026 wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My foot hit something soft, and I froze. Heart pounding, I fumbled for the light switch. When the hall lit up, I almost screamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tommy and Alex were sprawled out on the floor, tangled up in blankets like a couple of puppies. They were fast asleep, but their faces were smudged with dirt, and their hair was sticking up in all directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat the hell?\u201d I whispered, my mind racing. Had there been a fire? A gas leak? Why weren\u2019t they in their beds?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I crept past them, afraid to wake them up until I knew what was going on. The living room was a disaster zone, littered with pizza boxes, soda cans, and what looked suspiciously like melted ice cream on the coffee table. But no sign of Mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart was doing the cha-cha in my chest as I made my way to our bedroom. Empty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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