I trusted my mother-in-law to watch my son while my husband and I were on our honeymoon. But just four days in, I received a panicked call from Liam that sent me racing home.
Liam was born when I was eighteen. His father left before he was born, and it was just the two of us. I worked hard to take care of him, and everything was worth it when he hugged me.
Then, I met Ethan. He loved Liam and accepted me as a single mom. We got married last year, and he planned a honeymoon to the Bahamas. I was nervous about leaving Liam but trusted Ethan’s mom, Angela, to care for him.
But after just a few days, Liam called me crying. Angela had told him I was giving him up for adoption if he didn’t behave. My heart broke.
I rushed home, furious, and confronted Angela. She brushed it off as discipline, but it was cruel. Ethan confronted her too, and she realized how far she’d gone. We left her house and cut her off from seeing Liam alone.
Though Angela begged us to let her back into our lives, I couldn’t trust her. Liam was never the same—he was scared and clingy, and I blamed myself for trusting the wrong person.
Years later, as I tucked Liam into bed, he told me, “You never left me. You kept your promise.” And that was enough for me.