“Day 586: I miss being someone. Not just their mother and not just his wife. I miss being me.”
The following day, I took the girls to the park, then straight to a family lawyer.
By lunchtime, my mother was removed from school pickup, the forged paperwork was flagged, and a formal notice was issued: no contact with my wife, and no access to my children.
That night, I sat on the edge of the bed and called her.
I stared at my phone for a long time before pressing call.
Jyll answered after two rings.
“Zach,” she whispered.
I took a breath. “I’m so sorry, my love. I didn’t see it, Jyll. I thought you were overwhelmed by the girls, and by my mother being… herself. I didn’t realize it was more. I should have.”
There was a pause.
“I know,” she said softly. “You tried. But you didn’t know how.”
“I tried to keep her out of things. I thought it was helping.”
“You were protecting me, Zach. But you were protecting me from the wrong things.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me.
“I’m fixing it. That custody file is with my lawyer now. And Mom is done. She’s not coming into our home, and she’s never picking up our girls again.”
“Zach…”
“I should have chosen you,” I said. “I didn’t know I had to. But I do now.”
“You did, hon. Just… a little late.”
She went quiet.
“I want you to come home to us, Jyll. Please.”
“I know,” she said, her voice cracking. “But I can’t. Not yet. I need to find myself again. I want to come back… as a better version of me. Not the shell I was.”
“We’ll wait for you, Jyll,” I promised.
“You’re a good dad,” she said. “Thank you for choosing our girls. And for choosing me, even now.”
“I’ll keep choosing you.”
Three days later, a package arrived with no return address. Inside were two velvet scrunchies, two packs of crayons, and a selfie of Jyll at the beach, smiling.
“Thank you for seeing me, Zach. I’ll send things to the girls whenever I can. I’m trying my hardest. I hope I can come home soon.
— J.”
I folded the note and whispered my wife’s name like a vow.
This time, I would be the one waiting at home — porch light on.