I thought I was over the loss of my husband Jason four years ago when he went missing while hiking alone. But when Scout, our old family dog, came back with Jason’s jacket in his mouth, I was shocked to learn something new.
That day, Jason had gone outside to find comfort in nature because he was feeling down. He said he would come back, but he never did. The search teams and the announcements that he was thought to be dead made it all feel like a bad dream.
As the years went by, it was hard for me to keep Jason’s memory living for our kids. But the pain didn’t go away, and I often thought about what I might have done differently.
Then Scout came back. He was thinner and more worn, but his eyes still had that old spark. He had Jason’s worn-out jacket on his back, and I knew I had to follow him.
Scout took me deeper into the forest until we came to a shack that was cut off from the rest of the world. There was smoke coming from the fire pit, and tracks in the mud outside. As I got closer to the window, my heart beat fast.
A woman stood next to him and put her hand on his arm.
My world fell apart. When I opened the door, Jason’s eyes met mine. They were shocked and guilty.
He talked about how we can find freedom in nature and get out of our life’s jail. But his words didn’t mean anything. He had left us, his family, without giving it a thought.
I could see the lack of depth in his eyes. The Jason I loved was gone, and a stranger had taken his place.
I turned around and left him to start his new life. It was a long and hard trip back, but I knew I had to keep going.
My voice stayed calm as I asked for a divorce and help for our kids the next morning when I went to see a lawyer.
I felt a strange calm. I had been waiting, suffering, and wondering for years. I got it now, though. Jason wasn’t the man I used to love, and he wasn’t coming back even if he did.
It was time to pick a new road that was based on love, stability, and truth. Jason went down his road, but I was going down mine. I would never look back.
