Pets n Story

I came home to silence.

Not the peaceful kind. The eerie, unnatural kind that makes your stomach twist.

I was expecting to hear cartoons playing, the soft hum of Jessica’s voice reading to Lily, or—at the very least—tiny giggles from my five-year-old daughter. But there was nothing. Just an empty house that felt wrong.

I dropped my bag and called out, “Lily? Jessica?”

No answer.

I checked the living room first—blankets tossed on the couch, Lily’s stuffed bunny on the floor. But no sign of them.

The kitchen? Empty.

I ran up the stairs two at a time and pushed open Lily’s door.

Her bed was made. Her tiny shoes were gone.

My breath hitched.

I fumbled for my phone, dialing Jessica. It went straight to voicemail.

Again.

Voicemail.

Panic flooded my veins. Jessica was a responsible girl—a college student with stellar references. There was no way she’d take Lily anywhere without telling me.

Unless…

My chest squeezed as my eyes darted around the room, searching for something, anything, that would explain where they’d gone.

That’s when I noticed it.

Lily’s backpack was missing.

Her favorite pink backpack. The one she never left home without.

My hands trembled as I opened the tracking app. Months ago, I had slipped an AirTag into the lining of that bag. I never thought I’d need it for something like this.

My breath caught when the location popped up.

The airport.

My blood ran cold.

I grabbed my keys and bolted out the door.

The drive was a blur of red lights I barely obeyed, knuckles white on the steering wheel as I refreshed the location every few seconds. Still at the airport.

What the hell was happening?

By the time I pulled into the parking garage, my mind was spinning with terrifying possibilities. Kidnapping. Trafficking. Jessica being coerced by some stranger.

I sprinted into the terminal, weaving through the crowd, my eyes scanning for pink.

And then—I saw it.

Lily’s backpack.

And her.

And Jessica.

But they weren’t alone.

A man stood beside them, a tall figure in a crisp suit, his hand resting on Lily’s shoulder like it belonged there.

I stopped in my tracks, my pulse thudding in my ears.

No.

It couldn’t be.

“Daniel?” My voice cracked.

My ex-husband turned, and his smile was like ice. “Surprised to see me, Laura?”

I couldn’t breathe.

Jessica looked between us, confusion and guilt etched across her face.

“What the hell are you doing?!” I snapped, marching toward them.

Lily’s face lit up. “Mommy!” She took a step forward, but Daniel’s grip tightened.

Rage surged through me.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I hissed, glaring at Jessica. “Why are you here with him?”

Jessica’s lip trembled. “He—he reached out a few months ago. He told me—” She faltered, eyes darting to Daniel.

Oh, God.

Realization hit me like a truck.

Daniel had gotten to her. Fed her lies. Convinced her that I was keeping Lily from him out of spite.

“He said you weren’t letting him see her,” Jessica continued, voice barely a whisper. “That you weren’t coping well. That he could give her a better life.”

My stomach turned. “You have no idea what you’ve done.”

Jessica’s face fell.

I turned to Daniel, my voice sharp as a blade. “You think you can just take her? That I wouldn’t notice?”

Daniel smirked. “I wasn’t kidnapping her, Laura. I was taking my daughter home.”

“Home?” I spat. “You mean back to your life of control? Back to the man who—”

I swallowed hard, gripping my shaking hands into fists.

I wasn’t going to let him get into my head.

“I have full custody, Daniel. You lost that right when the court saw what you did to me.”

His expression darkened.

The mask was slipping.

Jessica’s gaze flickered between us, doubt creeping into her features.

“You told me—”

“I told you what you needed to hear,” Daniel interrupted smoothly. “I told you the truth.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “The truth? The truth is that you’re a manipulative, violent bastard who can’t stand losing control.”

His jaw clenched.

Lily whimpered. “Mommy, I want to go home.”

That did it.

I stepped forward, planting myself between Daniel and my daughter. “You’re not taking her anywhere.”

For a moment, I thought he might walk away. That he’d cause a scene but ultimately realize he couldn’t win.

Then I saw it.

The shift in his stance. The tension in his muscles. The way his fingers curled into fists.

I knew that stance.

I had seen it before.

Jessica saw it too.

Her breath hitched, and for the first time, true fear flashed across her face.

She fumbled for her phone.

Daniel’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You think you can keep her from me forever?”

I stared him down. “Watch me.”

He raised his hand.

And that’s when security swarmed.

Several officers grabbed him, yanking him back just as his hand came swinging down.

Lily screamed.

Jessica gasped.

But I stood my ground.

Daniel struggled, his face twisting in rage. “You bitc—”

“Enough.” The officer holding him barked. “Sir, you’re under arrest.”

The moment he was restrained, I scooped Lily into my arms, pressing my lips to her hair as she clung to me, sobbing.

Jessica stood frozen, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I thought—I thought I was helping.”

I let out a shaky breath. “You almost handed her to a man who hurt me. Who would’ve used her to hurt me again.”

She wiped her face. “I’m so sorry.”

I nodded, not ready to forgive, but too exhausted to fight.

The officers led Daniel away, his threats fading into the airport noise.

I held Lily close, whispering reassurances into her ear, vowing that she would never have to be afraid again.

I had fought for her once before.

And I’d fight for her a thousand times more.

Some battles never end.

But this one?

I won.

If you were in my shoes, what would you have done? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like and share!