“She wouldn’t just leave,” I insisted, feeling desperate. “Especially not without saying anything to me. And why would she mention you?”

Mom took a deep breath, the casserole now forgotten at her feet. “Let’s go inside. We need to figure this out.”

Inside, I placed our daughters in the bassinet, their tiny hands oblivious to the turmoil unfolding around them. The sight of their serene faces brought a brief moment of calm, but it was quickly overshadowed by the churning storm of uncertainty.

Mom sat down at the kitchen table, her expression serious. “You know I’d never do anything to hurt Suzie or the family,” she started. “But there’s something I need to tell you. Something from before you met her.”

I stopped pacing and turned to face her. “What do you mean?”

“Years ago, before you even started dating Suzie, I had an encounter with her family,” she confessed, her eyes not meeting mine. “Her mother and I… we had a disagreement about something personal. I thought it was settled.”

“A disagreement? About what?” I pressed, my patience wearing thin.

“It was about a piece of land,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Her family wanted to buy it, but it was part of your father’s estate. I refused to sell, and things got tense. I never thought it would have led to this.”

I tried to process the information, piecing together fragments of a history I was previously unaware of. “Do you think this disagreement could have driven Suzie away? Why wouldn’t she have mentioned it?”

Mom shook her head, tears in her eyes. “I don’t know, but it must have weighed heavily on her. Maybe her mother said something to her after the babies were born. But I assure you, I never meant for any of this to happen.”

I collapsed into a chair, my mind racing. I needed to find Suzie, to understand her reasons. But where to start? She hadn’t left any clues, just the cryptic note.

I pulled out my phone and dialed her number, hearing it ring out before going to voicemail. “Suzie, please, wherever you are, let’s talk. I love you, and the girls need you. We can work through whatever this is.”

Silence filled the room as I hung up, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. My daughters stirred, a small whimper escaping one of them. I stood and went to them, gently cradling them in my arms.

“We’ll figure this out,” I promised, more to myself than to them. “I’ll bring your mom back home.”

As night fell, I sat by the window, staring out into the dark, holding onto hope. Somewhere out there, Suzie was grappling with her own fears and uncertainties. I could only hope she knew she wasn’t alone in facing them.