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The Camera
I was scared.
Not just of losing trust in my husband, but of something worse — something no mother ever wants to imagine.
I told Evan I needed to check our home security, but in truth, I was watching him.
That night, I turned on my phone to review the footage.
She began walking slowly around the room, bumping her head softly against the wall before standing completely still.
My heart stopped.
Evan walked in.
Emma relaxed, climbed back into bed, and soon fell asleep peacefully.
The next day, I took the video to a children’s hospital downtown and showed it to the pediatrician.
After watching, the doctor looked at me carefully and said,
Then he asked,
“Has she ever been separated from you for a long time when she was younger?”
Memories rushed back.
When I finally returned, she didn’t even recognize me.
She hid behind my mother, scared.
I smiled and told myself,
“She’ll get used to me again.”
But I didn’t realize I had left a crack in her little heart — one that hadn’t healed.
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