One crisp Saturday morning, Ava came rushing back inside after Mike and Ben were already settled in the car. “Forgot my jacket!” she called out, her ginger curls bouncing as she darted past me.
“Don’t forget to behave at Grandma’s!” I teased, ruffling her hair as she grabbed her coat. She froze mid-step and turned to me, her face serious. Then she said something I could never forget…
My daughter paused mid-run, giving me a strange look.
“Mommy,” she whispered, like she was sharing a secret, “Grandma is just a SECRET CODE.”
I blinked, my heart skipping. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”
Ava’s words hung in the air, making my heart race. “What do you mean, ‘Grandma’ is a secret code?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm for my little girl.
Ava fidgeted with the zipper on her jacket. “Daddy says we can’t tell you where we really go. He says it’s a special surprise for later.” And with that, she ran out the door, leaving me more confused and a bit worried.
The whole day, I couldn’t focus. I kept thinking about what Ava had said. Why would Mike need to keep a secret from me? And what was this place they were going to instead of Grandma’s? I decided I couldn’t just sit around and wait. I had to find out what was going on.
When Mike and the kids got home that evening, I tried to act normal. I asked Ava and Ben about their day, and they both talked about how much fun they had, but they were a bit too vague. Mike seemed on edge, too. He kept avoiding my eyes and made an excuse to go to the garage right after dinner.
That night, after the kids were in bed, I confronted Mike. “I know you’re not taking the kids to your mom’s every Saturday,” I said, my voice shaking a little. “Ava let it slip. So, where are you really going?”
