"Time to go to bed!" I hollered to the children, "This is the 5th time I've told you!" Abby and Samantha run up the stairs and grab a cup of water before heading upstairs to brush their teeth. Abby is only 2 and Samantha just turned 4. I walk up the steps behind them and help each individual into their pajamas. After the little girls are as snug as a big in a rug, I tuck them into their bunk beds. Samantha loves being the oldest because she gets the top bunk. After I read a few stories, we exchange hugs and kisses and wish each other all sweet dreams. Abby says a quick but meaningful prayer and then I walk out of the room, making sure to turn the lights off on the way out. The stairs creak slightly as I walk down the steep steps. My feet find their way to the counter and I'm suddenly craving a hot drink to warm me on this cold night. I whip up a pot of lemon zest tea and reach into the cupboard for a mug. My "worlds best dad" mug spots my eye and I pull it out carefully. Abby made it for me in her preschool class. It's made with cute googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and lots and lots of sparkles. Even today, glitter falls from it when I use it. When the tea stops dripping, I pour a nice cup of it into my mug and watch the steam spur as I do so. I take a small sip of it to make sure that it's done. My body feels warmth as the temperate substance trickles down my throat. I grab the mug and sit down on the brown, leathery arm chair. The leather is freezing but becomes more comfortable as I relax in it. I grab the baby monitor on the coffee table next to me and turn it on, making the green light glow. Leaning my ear against the monitor, I listen to the soft voices coming from within the speaker. I watch the light get brighter every time the noise grows louder, and then dials soft again a second later. As I listen to it more clearly, I realize I hear singing. Actually, the song is a lullaby. My wife must've thought the children weren't completely asleep yet. Her beautiful voice sings on and on for 20 minutes and I listen, allowing the sound to fill me with joy. I look back at the counter and notice there isn't a single grocery bag in sight. That's peculiar. I could've sworn she said she was left to go grocery shopping. I close my eyes and think about the jam packed week ahead of me. Business work. Preschool forms. Taxes. Things never stop coming. I lift myself to my feet to check on the kids just as I hear our garage door open. Opening the front door, I see my wife walking through the mud room, struggling to keep all the groceries in her hands.
"Hi honey," she says in an exhausted voice. I freeze and stare at her for a moment, trying to understand what all has happened this evening. Flinging my head around, I see that the baby monitors green light is no longer reflecting off of the wall. I can't help but sprint up the stairs in a panic. Dashing through the hall, I push open the door to the kids' bedroom. I switch on the lights and look over at 2 perfectly made beds, not a single sign of where my children have gone and when I will ever see them again.
