Fifteen years ago, my wife, Lisa, vanished after leaving to buy diapers for our newborn son, Noah. Last week, I saw her again, and her story left me heartbroken.
Lisa’s disappearance was a mystery. I searched for her, but the police found no leads. I raised Noah alone, always wondering what had happened to her.
Then, last week, I saw her in a grocery store. She looked older, but it was her. My heart raced as I approached her.
“Lisa?” I said.
She turned, her eyes wide. “Bryan?”
I demanded answers. “Where have you been?”
She asked for forgiveness before confessing that she had fled to Europe, overwhelmed by motherhood and our financial struggles. Her parents helped her start a new life, and now she wanted to reconnect with Noah and me.
But I couldn’t let her back into our lives. After 15 years of pain, I told her we didn’t need her anymore.
