I Kissed My 2-Year-Old Goodbye Before His Sitter Drove Away. It Was The Last Time I Saw Him

That July afternoon didn’t feel remarkable in any way. I was a 22‑year‑old single mother working two jobs, doing what young mothers do – surviving, pushing, loving my boys with whatever energy I had left.

Life was busy, loud and messy. I didn’t know I was taking it for granted. You never do until the world just stops.

My two‑year‑old son was going “just up the road” to a friend’s grandparents’ house for dinner – with a sitter I trusted, someone who had watched him countless times.