Chapter 10: The Search For My Son
The moment my mother finished reading the note, my entire world narrowed down to one thought.
Find Noah.
Everything else disappeared.
The fake pregnancy.
Vanessa.
The lies.
The unanswered questions.
None of it mattered.
My six-year-old son was alone somewhere, believing he had to disappear so his father could be happy.
I ran out of the coffee shop without even saying goodbye.
Vanessa followed behind me.
“Ethan, what happened?””
I looked at her.
“Noah is gone.””
Her face turned white.
“What?””
“He left a note.””
For the first time since I met her, I saw genuine panic in her eyes.
Not fear of being exposed.
Fear for him.
“What did it say?””
I swallowed.
“He thinks he’s protecting me.””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“Oh my God.””
I expected excuses.
I expected her to blame someone else.
Instead, she whispered:
“I did this.””
I didn’t answer.
Because right now, my son mattered more than my anger.
When I arrived at my mother’s house, police were already there.
My mother ran toward me.
“I’m sorry.””
I hugged her.
“No. This isn’t your fault.””
But my voice broke.
Because I knew whose fault it was.
A child doesn’t wake up one morning and decide he is a burden.
Someone teaches him that.
The officer approached me.
“Mr. Carter, we need everything you know.””
I handed him the note.
He read it carefully.
“Did your son mention anywhere he might go?””
I shook my head.
“He likes the park near his old elementary school.””
“Why?””
I looked down.
“His mother used to take him there.””
The officer nodded.
“We’ll start there.””
Vanessa stood behind me.
The officer looked at her.
“Are you the stepmother?””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
His expression stayed neutral.
“Did you have any recent conflicts with the child?””
The question hung in the air.
Vanessa looked at me.
Then she looked down.
“Yes.””
My jaw tightened.
She didn’t lie.
“We argued.””
“About what?””
She closed her eyes.
“My behavior.””
The officer studied her.
“What behavior?””
I stepped forward.
“She faked a pregnancy.””
The officer looked confused.
“What?””
I handed him the folder.
He flipped through it.
The room became silent.
After several minutes, he looked back at us.
“We need to focus on finding Noah first.””
I nodded.
Because he was right.
But Vanessa looked like she was falling apart.
“I know where he might be.””
Everyone turned.
“Where?”” I asked.
She wiped her tears.
“There’s a place he goes when he’s scared.””
I stared at her.
“How do you know?””
Her voice became quiet.
“Because I followed him once.””
My anger returned.
“You followed him?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
She looked ashamed.
“Because I thought he was trying to make me look bad.””
I couldn’t believe it.
But before I could respond, she continued.
“He went to his mother’s memorial garden.””
My heart stopped.
The garden.
A small place behind the church where we had planted flowers after my first wife passed.
Noah barely remembered his mother.
But he always said he felt close to her there.
We drove there immediately.
The rain started halfway.
By the time we arrived, the garden was almost empty.
I got out of the car.
“Noah!””
My voice echoed.
Nothing.
I walked between the flowers.
“Noah, it’s Daddy.””
Still nothing.
Then Vanessa stopped.
She was staring at a small wooden bench.
“There.””
I followed her eyes.
A tiny backpack sat underneath it.
My heart raced.
I ran over.
Inside were Noah’s stuffed dinosaur, a water bottle, and his favorite jacket.
But Noah wasn’t there.
Then I noticed something.
A small piece of paper tucked inside the backpack.
My hands shook as I opened it.
One sentence.
“Daddy, I’m sorry I couldn’t stay.””
My knees almost gave out.
Because underneath that sentence was another.
“I went somewhere Vanessa won’t look.””
I looked at her.
She looked terrified.
“Where would he go?””
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered immediately.
A man’s voice spoke.
“Are you Noah Carter’s father?””
My heart stopped.
“Yes.””
A pause.
May you like
Then:
“I found your son.””
