Imagine burying a loved one, only to see them alive again. When my son spotted his “dead” mother on our beach vacation, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The truth I uncovered was far more heartbreaking than her death.
I never thought I’d experience grief so young, but here I am at 34, a widower with a 5-year-old son. The last time I saw my wife Stacey two months ago, her chestnut hair smelled of lavender as I kissed her goodbye. Then, a phone call that will forever be etched in my memory shattered my world…
I was in Seattle at that time, finalizing a significant deal for my company when my phone buzzed.
It was a call from Stacey’s father. “Abraham, there’s been an accident. Stacey… she’s gone.”
“What?
No, that’s impossible. I just talked to her last night!”
“I’m so sorry, son. It happened this morning.
A drunk driver…”
His words faded into a dull roar. I don’t remember the flight home, just stumbling into our empty house. Stacey’s parents had already arranged everything.
The funeral was over, and I hadn’t been able to say goodbye. “We didn’t want to wait,” her mother said, avoiding my eyes. “It was better this way.”
I was too numb to argue.
I should have fought harder. I should have demanded to see her, to say goodbye. But grief does funny things to your mind.
It clouds your judgment and makes you accept things you’d normally question. That night, after the funeral, I held Luke as he cried himself to sleep. “When’s Mommy coming home?”
“She can’t, buddy.
But she loves you very much.”
“Can we call her? Will she talk to us, Daddy?”
“No, baby. Mommy’s in heaven now.
She can’t talk to us anymore.”
He buried his face in my chest as I held him tight, my tears falling silently. How could I explain death to a five-year-old when I could barely understand it myself? Two months crawled by.
I threw myself into work and hired a nanny for Luke. But the house felt like a mausoleum. Stacey’s clothes still hung in the closet and her favorite mug sat unwashed by the sink.
Every corner held a memory, and those memories were slowly haunting me. One morning, as I watched Luke push his cereal around his bowl, barely eating, I knew we needed a change. “Hey champ, how about we go to the beach?” I asked, trying to inject some enthusiasm into my voice.
His eyes lit up for the first time in weeks. “Can we build sandcastles?”
“You bet! And maybe we’ll see some dolphins.”
I felt a glimmer of hope.
Maybe this trip was what we both needed to start healing. We checked into a beachfront hotel, our days filled with sun and surf. I watched Luke splash in the waves, his laughter a soothing melody to my weary soul.
I almost forgot the pain and lost myself in the simple joy of being a dad. On our third day, I was lost in thought when Luke came running. “Daddy!
Daddy!” he shouted. I smiled, thinking he wanted more ice cream. “Dad, look, Mom’s back!” he said, pointing at someone.
I froze, following his gaze. A woman stood by the beach, her back to us. Same height as Stacey with the same chestnut hair.
My heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my throat. “Luke, buddy, that’s not—”
The woman turned slowly. And my stomach dropped the moment our eyes met.
“Daddy, why does Mommy look different?” Luke’s innocent voice cut through my shock. I couldn’t speak. My eyes were fixed on the horror about thirty yards away, laughing.
It was Stacey. Her eyes widened as she grabbed the arm of a man next to her. They hurried away, disappearing into the crowd of beach-goers.
“Mommy!” Luke cried, but I scooped him up. “We need to go, buddy.”
“But Dad, it’s Mom! Didn’t you see her?
Why didn’t she come say hi?”
I carried him back to our room, my mind reeling. It couldn’t be. I’d buried her.
Hadn’t I? But I knew what I saw. That was Stacey.
My wife. Luke’s mother. The woman I thought was dead.
That night, after Luke fell asleep, I paced the balcony. My hands shook as I dialed Stacey’s mother. “Hello?” she answered.
“I need to know exactly what happened to Stacey.”
Silence, then, “We’ve been through this, Abraham.”
“No, tell me again.”
“The accident was early morning. It was too late by the time we reached the hospital.”
“And the body? Why couldn’t I see her?”
“It was too damaged.
We thought it best—”
“You thought wrong,” I snapped, hanging up. I stood there, staring out at the dark ocean. Something wasn’t right.
I could feel it in my gut. And I was going to get to the bottom of it. The next morning, I took Luke to the kids’ club in the resort along with his nanny.
“I’ve got a surprise for you later, champ!” I promised, hating myself for the lie. I spent hours combing the beach, the shops, and the restaurants. No sign of Stacey or her companion.
With each passing hour, my frustration grew. Was I going crazy? Had I imagined the whole thing?
As the sun began to set, I slumped onto a bench, defeated. Suddenly, a familiar voice made me jump. “I knew you’d look for me.”
I turned to find Stacey standing there, alone this time.
She looked just like I remembered, but somehow different. Harder. Colder.
“How?” It was all I could manage. “It’s complicated, Abraham.”
“Then explain it,” I snarled, my hands shaking with anger and shock as I secretly captured her conversation on my phone. “I never meant for you to find out like this.
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